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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: mouse · drill · charge · race · wind · current · straw · bark

  1. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  2. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  3. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  4. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  5. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  6. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  7. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  8. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  9. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  10. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  11. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  12. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  13. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  14. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  15. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  16. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  17. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  18. The tickets are free of ________________.
  19. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  20. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  21. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  22. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  23. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  24. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — to shout
  2. current — electric
  3. drill — the tool
  4. race — the arms race
  5. straw — dry grass
  6. wind — moving air
  7. drill — army training
  8. charge — in control
  9. straw — to clutch at straws
  10. straw — a straw man
  11. race — humankind
  12. mouse — for a computer
  13. current — of water
  14. charge — electricity
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. bark — of a tree
  17. drill — a practice
  18. charge — a price
  19. race — a contest
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. wind — to turn a key
  22. bark — a dog's sound
  23. wind — moving air
  24. current — happening now

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