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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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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: staff · row · current · deal · fall · wave · cabinet · wind

  1. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  2. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  3. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  4. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  5. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  6. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  7. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  8. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  9. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  10. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  11. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  12. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  13. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  14. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  15. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  16. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  17. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  18. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  19. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  20. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  21. What do you think of the new ________________?
  22. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  23. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  24. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. current — electric
  3. fall — to drop
  4. row — to paddle
  5. wave — with your hand
  6. cabinet — a cupboard
  7. current — happening now
  8. deal — an agreement
  9. staff — a stick
  10. deal — to handle
  11. staff — employees
  12. wave — of the sea
  13. wind — moving air
  14. staff — employees
  15. current — of water
  16. row — a line
  17. deal — a big deal
  18. row — a quarrel
  19. fall — the season
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. wind — moving air
  23. wind — to turn a key
  24. wave — a sudden rise

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