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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: cue · straw · deal · racket · wind · nail · bark · current

  1. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  2. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  3. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  4. The ________________ went through the wall.
  5. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  6. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  7. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  8. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  9. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  10. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  11. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  12. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  13. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  14. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  15. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  16. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  17. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  18. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  19. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  20. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  21. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  22. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  23. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  24. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a signal
  2. deal — to handle
  3. current — electric
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. wind — moving air
  6. bark — a dog's sound
  7. deal — an agreement
  8. straw — to clutch at straws
  9. bark — to shout
  10. straw — a straw man
  11. straw — dry grass
  12. current — of water
  13. bark — of a tree
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. cue — for pool
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. nail — on a finger
  18. wind — to turn a key
  19. current — happening now
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. cue — a hint
  22. racket — a loud noise
  23. wind — moving air
  24. deal — a big deal

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