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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: current · leaves · squash · straw · firm · key · spring · fan

  1. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  2. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  3. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  4. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  5. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  6. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  7. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  8. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  9. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  10. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  11. This piece is in a major ________________.
  12. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  13. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  14. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  15. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  16. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  17. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  18. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  19. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  20. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  21. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  22. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  23. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  24. The train ________________ at six o'clock.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the sport
  2. straw — dry grass
  3. firm — steady
  4. leaves — lets stay
  5. straw — a straw man
  6. squash — to crush
  7. firm — decided
  8. leaves — of a tree
  9. current — of water
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. key — in music
  12. current — happening now
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. spring — the season
  15. firm — a company
  16. key — the most important part
  17. spring — a coil
  18. key — for a lock
  19. squash — the vegetable
  20. fan — to cool the air
  21. straw — to clutch at straws
  22. current — electric
  23. spring — of water
  24. leaves — to go away

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