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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: dip · straw · object · current · wind · band · ruler · mouse

  1. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  2. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  3. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  4. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  5. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  6. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  7. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  8. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  9. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  10. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  11. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  12. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  13. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  14. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  15. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  16. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  17. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  18. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  19. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  20. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  21. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  22. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  23. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  24. Should I buy a wireless ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. straw — a straw man
  2. current — electric
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. current — happening now
  5. dip — to dunk
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. current — of water
  8. ruler — a monarch
  9. straw — to clutch at straws
  10. wind — moving air
  11. dip — to sink
  12. object — a thing
  13. band — a rubber band
  14. wind — moving air
  15. band — a ring
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. band — a music group
  18. straw — dry grass
  19. dip — a sauce
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. wind — to turn a key
  22. object — to protest
  23. object — an aim
  24. mouse — for a computer

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