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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 116 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. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  2. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  3. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  4. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  5. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  6. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  7. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  8. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  9. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  10. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  11. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  12. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  13. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  14. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  15. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  16. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  17. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  18. He was locked up in a ________________.
  19. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  20. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  21. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  22. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  23. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  24. Have you found your soul ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. current — of water
  2. wind — moving air
  3. bank — for money
  4. bank — for money
  5. mate — to breed
  6. bank — of a river
  7. cue — for pool
  8. cell — in biology
  9. current — electric
  10. straw — a straw man
  11. pound — a weight
  12. cue — a hint
  13. straw — to clutch at straws
  14. cue — a signal
  15. mate — a friend
  16. wind — to turn a key
  17. pound — for dogs
  18. cell — in a prison
  19. straw — dry grass
  20. wind — moving air
  21. cell — a phone
  22. pound — to hit hard
  23. current — happening now
  24. mate — a partner

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