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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.

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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: rush · last · bass · squash · wind · stand · current · bear

  1. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  2. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  3. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  4. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  5. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  6. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  7. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  8. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  9. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  10. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  11. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  12. That must've been a ________________.
  13. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  14. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  15. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  16. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  17. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  18. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  19. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  20. False peace will not ________________.
  21. I can't ________________ this cold.
  22. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  23. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  24. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. wind — moving air
  3. rush — hurry
  4. squash — the sport
  5. current — happening now
  6. rush — to hurry
  7. wind — moving air
  8. bass — the instrument
  9. current — of water
  10. bass — the fish
  11. last — finally
  12. rush — a thrill
  13. stand — for spectators
  14. last — final
  15. squash — the vegetable
  16. stand — on your feet
  17. bear — the animal
  18. squash — to crush
  19. bass — low music
  20. last — to go on
  21. stand — to bear
  22. current — electric
  23. wind — to turn a key
  24. bear — to put up with

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