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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.

Words on the sheet
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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 · tear · foot · current · rush · rock · cap · mark

  1. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  2. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  3. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  4. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  5. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  6. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  7. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  8. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  9. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  10. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. That must've been a ________________.
  13. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  14. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  15. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  16. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  17. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  18. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  19. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  20. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  21. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  22. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  23. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  24. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.

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

Answer key

  1. current — of water
  2. straw — to clutch at straws
  3. rock — music
  4. current — happening now
  5. current — electric
  6. rush — to hurry
  7. tear — from crying
  8. rush — hurry
  9. tear — to rip
  10. mark — a grade
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. rush — a thrill
  13. straw — dry grass
  14. cap — a lid
  15. cap — a hat
  16. cap — of ice
  17. foot — the bottom
  18. foot — part of the body
  19. mark — a trace
  20. straw — a straw man
  21. rock — to move gently
  22. rock — a stone
  23. foot — a measure
  24. tear — from crying

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