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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: hand · current · stick · mine · wound · can

  1. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  2. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  3. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  4. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  5. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  6. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  7. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  8. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  9. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  10. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  11. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  12. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  13. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  14. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  15. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  16. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  17. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  18. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — past of 'wind'
  2. hand — part of the body
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. current — of water
  5. mine — for digging
  6. can — a tin
  7. mine — belonging to me
  8. can — to be able to
  9. hand — help
  10. mine — an explosive
  11. wound — an injury
  12. wound — an injury
  13. can — a tin
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. current — happening now
  16. current — electric
  17. hand — in cards
  18. stick — to attach or keep to

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