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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: wind · current · wake · straw · fork · bass · tube · bore

  1. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  2. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  3. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  4. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  5. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  6. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  7. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  8. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  9. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  10. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  11. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  12. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  13. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  14. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  15. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  16. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  17. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  18. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  19. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  20. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  21. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  22. I'll be taking the ________________.
  23. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  24. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. wind — moving air
  3. wake — before a funeral
  4. tube — in a tire
  5. bore — to drill
  6. bass — the fish
  7. wake — to stop sleeping
  8. current — happening now
  9. wake — a trail
  10. fork — a garden tool
  11. bore — gave birth
  12. tube — a container
  13. straw — to clutch at straws
  14. wind — to turn a key
  15. bass — the instrument
  16. fork — in a road
  17. straw — dry grass
  18. current — of water
  19. current — electric
  20. bore — to tire
  21. fork — to eat with
  22. tube — the underground
  23. bass — low music
  24. straw — a straw man

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