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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: bank · staff · cabinet · current · arm · swing · fork · kid

  1. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  2. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  3. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  4. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  5. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  6. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  7. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  8. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  9. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  10. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  11. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  12. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  13. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  14. What do you think of the new ________________?
  15. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  16. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  17. David sat on the ________________.
  18. My father caught me by the ________________.
  19. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  20. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  21. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  22. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  23. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  24. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — to tease
  2. cabinet — a cupboard
  3. bank — of a river
  4. kid — child
  5. staff — employees
  6. current — electric
  7. staff — employees
  8. bank — for money
  9. swing — music
  10. fork — in a road
  11. bank — for money
  12. fork — to eat with
  13. fork — a garden tool
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. arm — a part of something
  16. swing — in golf
  17. swing — to play on
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. staff — a stick
  21. current — happening now
  22. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  23. current — of water
  24. arm — part of the body

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