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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: land · staff · current · track · wind · temple · bay · straw

  1. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  2. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  3. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  4. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  5. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  6. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  7. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  8. When was this ________________ built?
  9. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  10. When are we going to ________________?
  11. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  12. My mare is ________________ in color.
  13. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  14. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  15. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  16. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  17. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  18. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  19. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  20. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  21. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  22. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  23. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  24. Let us try to swim against the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a part of the sea
  2. land — ground
  3. straw — a straw man
  4. bay — to keep at bay
  5. current — happening now
  6. current — electric
  7. staff — a stick
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. straw — to clutch at straws
  10. land — to come down
  11. straw — dry grass
  12. bay — a horse colour
  13. wind — moving air
  14. land — a country
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. track — a path
  17. track — a song
  18. staff — employees
  19. staff — employees
  20. wind — moving air
  21. temple — side of the head
  22. wind — to turn a key
  23. track — to keep track
  24. current — of water

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