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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: jam · current · cell · squash · leaves · wind · deal · stick

  1. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  2. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  3. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  4. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  5. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  6. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  7. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  8. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  9. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  10. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  11. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  12. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  13. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  14. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  15. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  16. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  17. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  18. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  19. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  20. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  21. He was locked up in a ________________.
  22. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  23. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  24. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.

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

Answer key

  1. current — of water
  2. leaves — lets stay
  3. wind — to turn a key
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. squash — the sport
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. cell — in biology
  8. deal — to handle
  9. leaves — of a tree
  10. wind — moving air
  11. stick — to attach or keep to
  12. current — happening now
  13. deal — a big deal
  14. wind — moving air
  15. cell — a phone
  16. squash — the vegetable
  17. leaves — to go away
  18. jam — to spread on bread
  19. current — electric
  20. deal — an agreement
  21. cell — in a prison
  22. jam — in traffic
  23. jam — a tight spot
  24. squash — to crush

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