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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 116 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: firm · cue · leaves · shower · kid · fan · stick · current

  1. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  2. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  3. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  4. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  5. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  6. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  7. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  8. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  9. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  10. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  11. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  12. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  13. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  14. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  15. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  16. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  17. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  18. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  19. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  20. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  21. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  22. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  23. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  24. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.

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

Answer key

  1. current — of water
  2. shower — a meteor shower
  3. cue — a hint
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. current — happening now
  6. kid — to tease
  7. leaves — lets stay
  8. kid — child
  9. current — electric
  10. leaves — of a tree
  11. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. firm — a company
  14. shower — to wash
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. cue — a signal
  17. cue — for pool
  18. shower — rain
  19. stick — to attach or keep to
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. leaves — to go away
  22. fan — to cool the air
  23. firm — steady
  24. firm — decided

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