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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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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: current · bat · straw · safe · bear · file

  1. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  2. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  3. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  4. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  5. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  6. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  7. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  8. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  9. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  10. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  11. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  12. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  13. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  14. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  15. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  16. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  17. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  18. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — dry grass
  2. file — a document
  3. file — a tool
  4. bat — in an idiom
  5. safe — a strongbox
  6. file — a line of people
  7. current — electric
  8. straw — a straw man
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. bear — the animal
  11. bat — the animal
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. bear — to put up with
  14. current — of water
  15. bat — for baseball
  16. current — happening now
  17. bear — the animal
  18. straw — to clutch at straws

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