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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 · straw · band · fork · kid · snap · vault · bound

  1. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  2. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  3. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  4. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  5. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  6. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  7. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  8. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  9. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  10. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  11. That was ________________ to happen.
  12. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  13. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  14. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  15. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  16. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  17. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  18. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  19. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  20. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  21. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  22. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  23. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  24. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  2. band — a rubber band
  3. straw — to clutch at straws
  4. fork — a garden tool
  5. band — a ring
  6. snap — to click
  7. vault — a safe
  8. current — of water
  9. bound — obliged
  10. band — a music group
  11. bound — certain
  12. vault — an arched ceiling
  13. snap — to speak sharply
  14. current — happening now
  15. fork — to eat with
  16. vault — in gymnastics
  17. straw — a straw man
  18. fork — in a road
  19. snap — to snap out of it
  20. kid — child
  21. current — electric
  22. bound — tied together
  23. kid — to tease
  24. straw — dry grass

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