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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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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 · bowl · bear · fan · lean · hand · leaves · straw

  1. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  2. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  3. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  4. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  5. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  6. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  7. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  8. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  9. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  10. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  11. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  12. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  13. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  14. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  15. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  16. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  17. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  18. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  19. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  20. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  21. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  22. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  23. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  24. Can you turn the ________________ on?

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

Answer key

  1. straw — dry grass
  2. bear — the animal
  3. bowl — to roll
  4. bear — the animal
  5. bowl — a football final
  6. hand — in cards
  7. current — of water
  8. lean — to rest against
  9. straw — a straw man
  10. leaves — lets stay
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. leaves — to go away
  13. bowl — a dish
  14. hand — help
  15. lean — to bend
  16. lean — thin
  17. current — happening now
  18. leaves — of a tree
  19. current — electric
  20. straw — to clutch at straws
  21. bear — to put up with
  22. hand — part of the body
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. fan — to cool the air

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