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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 120 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: mate · firm · cold · current · lean · bound · hand · suit

  1. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  2. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  3. Have you found your soul ________________?
  4. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  5. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  6. When will it ________________ you to start?
  7. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  8. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  9. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  10. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  11. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  12. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  13. That was ________________ to happen.
  14. The water is too ________________.
  15. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  16. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  17. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  18. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  19. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  20. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  21. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  22. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  23. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  24. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.

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

Answer key

  1. current — of water
  2. mate — to breed
  3. mate — a partner
  4. bound — obliged
  5. mate — a friend
  6. suit — to fit
  7. hand — part of the body
  8. current — electric
  9. bound — tied together
  10. firm — decided
  11. firm — a company
  12. firm — steady
  13. bound — certain
  14. cold — not warm
  15. suit — in cards
  16. lean — to bend
  17. hand — help
  18. lean — to rest against
  19. lean — thin
  20. cold — an illness
  21. hand — in cards
  22. suit — clothes
  23. current — happening now
  24. cold — the Cold War

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