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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: straw · can · current · staff · wound · stick · fall · drill

  1. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  2. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  3. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  4. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  5. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  6. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  7. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  8. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  9. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  10. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  11. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  12. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  13. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  14. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  15. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  16. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  17. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  18. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  19. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  20. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  21. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  22. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  23. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  24. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. drill — the tool
  3. straw — dry grass
  4. can — to be able to
  5. wound — an injury
  6. staff — a stick
  7. fall — to drop
  8. current — happening now
  9. current — of water
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. drill — a practice
  12. can — a tin
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. straw — to clutch at straws
  15. wound — past of 'wind'
  16. staff — employees
  17. fall — the season
  18. current — electric
  19. staff — employees
  20. straw — a straw man
  21. wound — an injury
  22. can — a tin
  23. drill — army training
  24. stick — to attach or keep to

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