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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: current · hand · rock · squash · trunk · can · firm · pass

  1. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  2. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  3. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  4. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  5. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  6. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  7. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  8. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  9. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  10. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  11. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  12. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  13. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  14. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  15. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  16. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  17. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  18. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  19. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  20. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  21. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  22. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  23. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  24. Recycle the empty soda ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to succeed
  2. squash — the sport
  3. hand — help
  4. rock — music
  5. can — to be able to
  6. current — of water
  7. rock — to move gently
  8. firm — steady
  9. firm — decided
  10. rock — a stone
  11. squash — to crush
  12. trunk — of a car
  13. trunk — of an elephant
  14. firm — a company
  15. current — electric
  16. can — a tin
  17. pass — a permit
  18. current — happening now
  19. hand — part of the body
  20. hand — in cards
  21. pass — to spend time
  22. squash — the vegetable
  23. trunk — of a tree
  24. can — a tin

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