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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: roll · straw · deal · shower · suit · current · can · pass

  1. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  2. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  3. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  4. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  5. When will it ________________ you to start?
  6. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  7. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  8. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  9. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  10. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  11. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  12. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  13. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  14. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  15. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  16. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  17. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  18. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  19. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  20. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  21. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  22. We're on a ________________ here.
  23. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  24. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.

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

Answer key

  1. can — to be able to
  2. straw — dry grass
  3. pass — a permit
  4. current — of water
  5. suit — to fit
  6. roll — a cake
  7. deal — to handle
  8. shower — to wash
  9. deal — a big deal
  10. current — happening now
  11. pass — to succeed
  12. can — a tin
  13. shower — rain
  14. deal — an agreement
  15. suit — clothes
  16. shower — a meteor shower
  17. can — a tin
  18. suit — in cards
  19. current — electric
  20. pass — to spend time
  21. straw — to clutch at straws
  22. roll — on a roll
  23. straw — a straw man
  24. roll — a list

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