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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: leaves · spring · stick · suit · firm · current · bore · straw

  1. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  2. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  3. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  4. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  5. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  6. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  7. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  8. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  9. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  10. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  11. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  12. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  13. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  14. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  15. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  16. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  17. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  18. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  19. When will it ________________ you to start?
  20. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  21. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  22. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  23. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  24. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — of water
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. spring — the season
  4. leaves — to go away
  5. leaves — lets stay
  6. firm — steady
  7. firm — decided
  8. firm — a company
  9. bore — gave birth
  10. bore — to tire
  11. current — electric
  12. suit — clothes
  13. straw — dry grass
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. straw — a straw man
  16. current — happening now
  17. leaves — of a tree
  18. current — of water
  19. suit — to fit
  20. spring — a coil
  21. suit — in cards
  22. straw — to clutch at straws
  23. bore — to drill
  24. stick — to attach or keep to

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