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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 116 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: straw · fan · clip · current · nail · bay · ruler · rush

  1. That must've been a ________________.
  2. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  3. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  4. My mare is ________________ in color.
  5. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  6. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  7. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  8. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  9. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  10. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  11. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  12. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  13. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  14. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  15. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  16. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  17. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  18. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  19. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  20. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  21. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  22. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  23. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  24. The ________________ went through the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — a thrill
  2. current — of water
  3. straw — a straw man
  4. bay — a horse colour
  5. current — happening now
  6. clip — to cut
  7. straw — to clutch at straws
  8. rush — hurry
  9. nail — on a finger
  10. fan — to cool the air
  11. clip — a video
  12. clip — for paper
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. current — electric
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. ruler — a monarch
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. bay — a part of the sea
  21. bay — to keep at bay
  22. rush — to hurry
  23. straw — dry grass
  24. nail — for a hammer

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