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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: shower · current · stand · calf · degree · wind · arm · bank

  1. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  2. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  3. I can't ________________ this cold.
  4. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  5. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  6. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  7. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  8. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  9. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  10. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  11. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  12. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  13. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  14. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  15. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  16. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  17. My father caught me by the ________________.
  18. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  19. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  20. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  21. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  22. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  23. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  24. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.

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

Answer key

  1. current — electric
  2. current — of water
  3. stand — to bear
  4. stand — for spectators
  5. current — happening now
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. calf — of the leg
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. degree — from a university
  10. shower — to wash
  11. bank — for money
  12. arm — a part of something
  13. shower — a meteor shower
  14. degree — an amount
  15. stand — on your feet
  16. degree — temperature
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. wind — moving air
  19. wind — moving air
  20. bank — for money
  21. wind — to turn a key
  22. shower — rain
  23. bank — of a river
  24. arm — part of the body

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