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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: stick · scale · rash · current · clip · toast · kid · bank

  1. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  2. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  3. Don't do anything ________________.
  4. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  5. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  6. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  7. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  8. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  9. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  10. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  11. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  12. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  13. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  14. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  15. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  16. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  17. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  18. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  19. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  20. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  21. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  22. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  23. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  24. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — to cut
  2. current — electric
  3. rash — hasty
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. kid — to tease
  6. rash — a series
  7. bank — of a river
  8. clip — for paper
  9. bank — for money
  10. stick — to attach or keep to
  11. kid — child
  12. current — happening now
  13. scale — for weighing
  14. toast — a drink to someone
  15. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. scale — size or range
  18. rash — on the skin
  19. scale — in music
  20. toast — the most admired
  21. clip — a video
  22. current — of water
  23. toast — bread
  24. bank — for money

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