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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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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 · hide · wind · bear · wave · deal · mouse · stick

  1. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  2. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  3. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  4. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  5. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  6. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  7. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  8. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  9. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  10. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  11. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  12. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  13. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  14. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  15. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  16. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  17. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  18. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  19. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  20. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  21. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  22. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  23. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  24. Should I buy a wireless ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. current — electric
  2. wind — moving air
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. bear — the animal
  5. deal — to handle
  6. deal — a big deal
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. bear — the animal
  9. current — of water
  10. wind — moving air
  11. current — happening now
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. hide — animal skin
  15. wind — to turn a key
  16. wave — with your hand
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. bear — to put up with
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. wave — a sudden rise
  21. stick — to attach or keep to
  22. wave — of the sea
  23. deal — an agreement
  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