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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 · chair · last · leaves · hand · can · bass · race

  1. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  2. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  3. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  4. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  5. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  6. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  7. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  8. False peace will not ________________.
  9. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  10. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  11. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  12. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  13. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  14. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  15. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  16. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  17. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  18. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  19. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  20. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  21. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  22. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  23. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  24. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.

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

Answer key

  1. current — of water
  2. hand — part of the body
  3. can — to be able to
  4. can — a tin
  5. race — humankind
  6. bass — the instrument
  7. current — happening now
  8. last — to go on
  9. hand — in cards
  10. leaves — of a tree
  11. hand — help
  12. last — final
  13. chair — a leader
  14. race — a contest
  15. current — electric
  16. chair — to sit on
  17. leaves — to go away
  18. race — the arms race
  19. chair — a professorship
  20. bass — low music
  21. bass — the fish
  22. leaves — lets stay
  23. last — finally
  24. can — a tin

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