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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 · wound · bank · staff · fork · bear · saw · foot

  1. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  2. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  3. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  4. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  5. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  6. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  7. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  8. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  9. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  10. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  11. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  12. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  13. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  14. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  15. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  16. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  17. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  18. She's very handy with a ________________.
  19. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  20. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  21. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  22. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  23. He works in a ________________ mill.
  24. A black ________________ roamed the forest.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. wound — an injury
  3. bank — for money
  4. saw — past of 'see'
  5. bank — for money
  6. staff — employees
  7. current — electric
  8. bear — to put up with
  9. bear — the animal
  10. current — of water
  11. fork — in a road
  12. foot — a measure
  13. current — happening now
  14. foot — part of the body
  15. foot — the bottom
  16. bank — of a river
  17. fork — to eat with
  18. saw — the tool
  19. wound — an injury
  20. wound — past of 'wind'
  21. staff — a stick
  22. fork — a garden tool
  23. saw — the tool
  24. bear — the animal

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