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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. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  2. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  3. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  4. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  5. We're on a ________________ here.
  6. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  7. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  8. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  9. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  10. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  11. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  12. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  13. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  14. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  15. The King held a masked ________________.
  16. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  17. How do you ________________ your surname?
  18. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  19. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  20. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  21. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  22. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  23. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  24. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.

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

Answer key

  1. current — of water
  2. wind — to turn a key
  3. band — a rubber band
  4. patient — calm and waiting
  5. roll — on a roll
  6. spell — a short time
  7. spell — magic
  8. wind — moving air
  9. band — a music group
  10. current — happening now
  11. roll — a cake
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. roll — a list
  14. staff — employees
  15. ball — a dance
  16. current — electric
  17. spell — letters
  18. ball — a round shape
  19. band — a ring
  20. ball — a great time
  21. staff — a stick
  22. staff — employees
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. wind — moving air

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