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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.

Make a worksheet

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 · pitcher · wind · lie · foot · wave · straw · file

  1. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  2. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  3. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  4. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  5. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  6. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  7. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  8. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  9. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  10. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  11. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  12. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  13. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  14. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  15. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  16. He is an ace ________________.
  17. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  18. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  19. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  20. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  21. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  22. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  23. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  24. I have a corn on my right ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a line of people
  2. lie — to recline
  3. straw — a straw man
  4. current — of water
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. current — electric
  7. foot — the bottom
  8. wind — moving air
  9. wave — a sudden rise
  10. file — a document
  11. wave — with your hand
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. file — a tool
  14. wind — moving air
  15. straw — dry grass
  16. pitcher — in baseball
  17. foot — a measure
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. straw — to clutch at straws
  20. wind — to turn a key
  21. current — happening now
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. wave — of the sea
  24. foot — part of the body

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