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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  2. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  3. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  4. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  5. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  6. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  7. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  8. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  9. We're on a ________________ here.
  10. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  11. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  12. He works in a ________________ mill.
  13. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  14. She's very handy with a ________________.
  15. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  16. There's no middle ________________.
  17. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  18. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  19. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  20. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  21. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  22. I'll be taking the ________________.
  23. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  24. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. current — of water
  3. ground — the earth
  4. roll — a cake
  5. bank — of a river
  6. tube — in a tire
  7. current — happening now
  8. straw — a straw man
  9. roll — on a roll
  10. current — electric
  11. deal — an agreement
  12. saw — the tool
  13. bank — for money
  14. saw — the tool
  15. ground — crushed
  16. ground — a position
  17. saw — past of 'see'
  18. deal — a big deal
  19. straw — dry grass
  20. tube — a container
  21. straw — to clutch at straws
  22. tube — the underground
  23. roll — a list
  24. deal — to handle

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com