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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. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  2. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  3. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  4. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  5. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  6. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  7. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  8. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  9. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  10. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  11. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  12. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  13. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  14. The ________________ went through the wall.
  15. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  16. The water is too ________________.
  17. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  18. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  19. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  20. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  21. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  22. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  23. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  24. The ________________ change colour in autumn.

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

Answer key

  1. current — electric
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. leaves — to go away
  4. bowl — to roll
  5. cold — an illness
  6. can — a tin
  7. can — to be able to
  8. bowl — a football final
  9. bank — for money
  10. bowl — a dish
  11. bank — of a river
  12. cold — the Cold War
  13. straw — dry grass
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. leaves — lets stay
  16. cold — not warm
  17. straw — to clutch at straws
  18. current — of water
  19. current — happening now
  20. can — a tin
  21. straw — a straw man
  22. nail — on a finger
  23. bank — for money
  24. leaves — of a tree

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