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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: wave · hand · current · stand · deal · roll · toast · straw

  1. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  2. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  3. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  4. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  5. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  6. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  7. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  8. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  9. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  10. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  11. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  12. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  13. We're on a ________________ here.
  14. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  15. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  16. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  17. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  18. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  19. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  20. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  21. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  22. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  23. I can't ________________ this cold.
  24. 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. deal — to handle
  2. hand — in cards
  3. roll — a list
  4. wave — of the sea
  5. current — happening now
  6. hand — part of the body
  7. straw — dry grass
  8. straw — to clutch at straws
  9. wave — a sudden rise
  10. hand — help
  11. stand — on your feet
  12. toast — bread
  13. roll — on a roll
  14. current — electric
  15. wave — with your hand
  16. toast — the most admired
  17. deal — a big deal
  18. deal — an agreement
  19. stand — for spectators
  20. roll — a cake
  21. straw — a straw man
  22. toast — a drink to someone
  23. stand — to bear
  24. 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