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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 120 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: nail · content · current · straw · wave · fork · stem · wound

  1. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  2. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  3. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  4. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  5. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  6. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  7. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  8. The ________________ went through the wall.
  9. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  10. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  11. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  12. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  13. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  14. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  15. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  16. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  17. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  18. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  19. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  20. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  21. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  22. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  23. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  24. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — on a finger
  2. content — the amount
  3. current — of water
  4. stem — a stem cell
  5. current — electric
  6. wound — past of 'wind'
  7. current — happening now
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. wave — with your hand
  10. straw — dry grass
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. wound — an injury
  13. fork — in a road
  14. straw — a straw man
  15. straw — to clutch at straws
  16. wave — of the sea
  17. wave — a sudden rise
  18. fork — to eat with
  19. content — happy
  20. wound — an injury
  21. stem — to come from
  22. fork — a garden tool
  23. stem — of a plant
  24. content — videos and posts

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