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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: wind · key · fan · stick · safe · cue · file · current

  1. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  2. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  3. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  4. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  5. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  6. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  7. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  8. This piece is in a major ________________.
  9. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  10. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  11. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  12. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  13. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  14. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  15. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  16. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  17. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  18. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  19. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  20. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  21. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  22. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  23. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  24. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — a strongbox
  2. wind — to turn a key
  3. key — for a lock
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. cue — a signal
  6. wind — moving air
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. key — in music
  9. cue — a hint
  10. file — a tool
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. key — the most important part
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. stick — to attach or keep to
  15. wind — moving air
  16. fan — to cool the air
  17. cue — for pool
  18. file — a line of people
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. current — happening now
  21. current — of water
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. current — electric
  24. file — a document

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