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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: sharp · deal · dip · wind · cabinet · bear · current · chair

  1. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  2. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  3. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  4. What do you think of the new ________________?
  5. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  6. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  7. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  8. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  9. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  10. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  11. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  12. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  13. It's one o'clock ________________.
  14. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  15. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  16. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  17. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  18. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  19. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  20. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  21. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  22. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  23. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  24. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!

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

Answer key

  1. current — of water
  2. deal — a big deal
  3. current — electric
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. wind — moving air
  6. chair — a professorship
  7. dip — to dunk
  8. dip — a sauce
  9. sharp — with an edge
  10. cabinet — a cupboard
  11. chair — a leader
  12. wind — to turn a key
  13. sharp — exactly
  14. bear — the animal
  15. dip — to sink
  16. bear — the animal
  17. deal — to handle
  18. wind — moving air
  19. sharp — clever
  20. chair — to sit on
  21. current — happening now
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. deal — an agreement
  24. bear — to put up with

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