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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

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

Word bank: wind · stick · stand · pound · mate · current

  1. Have you found your soul ________________?
  2. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  3. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  4. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  5. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  6. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  7. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  8. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  9. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  10. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  11. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  12. I can't ________________ this cold.
  13. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  14. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  15. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  16. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  17. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  18. Let us try to swim against the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a partner
  2. stick — to attach or keep to
  3. mate — a friend
  4. current — electric
  5. pound — to hit hard
  6. current — happening now
  7. pound — for dogs
  8. wind — moving air
  9. stand — for spectators
  10. stand — on your feet
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. stand — to bear
  13. pound — a weight
  14. mate — to breed
  15. wind — to turn a key
  16. wind — moving air
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. current — of water

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