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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 asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  3. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  4. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  5. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  6. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  7. How do you ________________ your surname?
  8. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  9. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  10. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  11. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  12. That was ________________ to happen.
  13. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  14. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  15. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  16. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  17. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  18. Where did you ________________ them?
  19. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  20. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  21. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  22. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  23. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  24. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. current — electric
  2. spell — magic
  3. scale — in music
  4. straw — a straw man
  5. current — happening now
  6. bound — tied together
  7. spell — letters
  8. kick — in football
  9. bank — for money
  10. spell — a short time
  11. mug — a cup
  12. bound — certain
  13. straw — to clutch at straws
  14. kick — a thrill
  15. mug — a face
  16. scale — size or range
  17. kick — with a leg
  18. mug — to rob
  19. current — of water
  20. scale — for weighing
  21. bound — obliged
  22. bank — of a river
  23. bank — for money
  24. straw — dry grass

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