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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: rush · stand · bulb · current · bound · hand · bowl · straw

  1. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  2. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  3. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  4. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  5. I can't ________________ this cold.
  6. That was ________________ to happen.
  7. That must've been a ________________.
  8. I've got to change the light ________________.
  9. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  10. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  11. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  12. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  13. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  14. The light ________________ burned out.
  15. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  16. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  17. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  18. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  19. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  20. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  21. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  22. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  23. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  24. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — tied together
  2. straw — to clutch at straws
  3. bowl — a football final
  4. rush — to hurry
  5. stand — to bear
  6. bound — certain
  7. rush — a thrill
  8. bulb — for light
  9. current — of water
  10. straw — dry grass
  11. bound — obliged
  12. hand — part of the body
  13. bowl — to roll
  14. bulb — for light
  15. rush — hurry
  16. bowl — a dish
  17. bulb — of a plant
  18. hand — help
  19. stand — for spectators
  20. current — electric
  21. hand — in cards
  22. stand — on your feet
  23. straw — a straw man
  24. current — happening now

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