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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: wind · current · fan · net · suit · root · straw · coach

  1. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  2. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  3. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  4. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  5. Have you met the new head ________________?
  6. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  7. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  8. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  9. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  10. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  11. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  12. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  13. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  14. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  15. When will it ________________ you to start?
  16. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  17. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  18. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  19. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  20. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  21. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  22. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  23. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  24. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. net — after costs
  3. current — electric
  4. wind — moving air
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. current — of water
  7. root — of a word
  8. suit — clothes
  9. net — in sport
  10. suit — in cards
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. root — of a plant
  13. net — for catching
  14. coach — pulled by horses
  15. suit — to fit
  16. current — happening now
  17. straw — to clutch at straws
  18. fan — to cool the air
  19. straw — a straw man
  20. straw — dry grass
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. wind — to turn a key
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. root — the cause

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