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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: bear · band · mug · ruler · current · snap · straw · ground

  1. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  2. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  3. Where did you ________________ them?
  4. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  5. There's no middle ________________.
  6. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  7. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  8. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  9. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  10. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  11. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  12. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  13. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  14. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  15. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  16. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  17. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  18. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  19. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  20. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  21. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  22. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  23. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  24. He refilled his coffee ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. current — electric
  2. bear — the animal
  3. mug — to rob
  4. band — a rubber band
  5. ground — a position
  6. snap — to snap out of it
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. bear — the animal
  9. snap — to speak sharply
  10. current — of water
  11. current — happening now
  12. straw — dry grass
  13. band — a music group
  14. ground — crushed
  15. ground — the earth
  16. snap — to click
  17. straw — to clutch at straws
  18. bear — to put up with
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. straw — a straw man
  21. mug — a face
  22. band — a ring
  23. ruler — a monarch
  24. mug — a cup

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