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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: bank · straw · snap · key · current · stand · mine · rash

  1. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  2. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  3. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  4. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  5. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  6. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  7. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  8. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  9. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  10. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  11. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  12. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  13. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  14. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  15. Don't do anything ________________.
  16. This piece is in a major ________________.
  17. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  18. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  19. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  20. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  21. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  22. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  23. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  24. I can't ________________ this cold.

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

Answer key

  1. current — of water
  2. snap — to snap out of it
  3. bank — of a river
  4. bank — for money
  5. key — for a lock
  6. snap — to speak sharply
  7. stand — on your feet
  8. straw — a straw man
  9. current — happening now
  10. snap — to click
  11. key — the most important part
  12. rash — a series
  13. mine — an explosive
  14. mine — for digging
  15. rash — hasty
  16. key — in music
  17. straw — dry grass
  18. stand — for spectators
  19. current — electric
  20. straw — to clutch at straws
  21. rash — on the skin
  22. bank — for money
  23. mine — belonging to me
  24. stand — to bear

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