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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: clip · date · straw · can · rush · current · wind · nail

  1. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  2. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  3. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  4. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  5. That must've been a ________________.
  6. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  7. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  8. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  9. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  10. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  11. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  12. The ________________ went through the wall.
  13. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  14. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  15. Have you settled on a ________________?
  16. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  17. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  18. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  19. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  20. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  21. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  22. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  23. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  24. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.

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

Answer key

  1. date — on the calendar
  2. can — a tin
  3. straw — dry grass
  4. wind — to turn a key
  5. rush — a thrill
  6. can — a tin
  7. nail — on a finger
  8. clip — to cut
  9. rush — hurry
  10. can — to be able to
  11. wind — moving air
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. clip — a video
  14. current — happening now
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. clip — for paper
  17. current — electric
  18. wind — moving air
  19. current — of water
  20. rush — to hurry
  21. straw — a straw man
  22. straw — to clutch at straws
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. date — the fruit

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