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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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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: jam · can · deal · current · wind · mouse · arm · fall

  1. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  2. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  3. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  4. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  5. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  6. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  7. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  8. My father caught me by the ________________.
  9. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  10. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  11. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  12. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  13. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  14. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  15. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  16. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  17. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  18. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  19. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  20. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  21. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  22. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  23. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  24. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — a big deal
  2. fall — to drop
  3. jam — a tight spot
  4. fall — the season
  5. current — of water
  6. wind — moving air
  7. mouse — for a computer
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. current — electric
  10. jam — to spread on bread
  11. current — happening now
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. can — to be able to
  14. wind — moving air
  15. deal — to handle
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. arm — a part of something
  18. can — a tin
  19. jam — in traffic
  20. fall — to drop
  21. can — a tin
  22. deal — an agreement
  23. wind — to turn a key
  24. mouse — the animal

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