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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: degree · bank · lean · wind · arm · cabinet · mouse · current

  1. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  2. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  3. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  4. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  5. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  6. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  7. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  8. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  9. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  10. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  11. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  12. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  13. What do you think of the new ________________?
  14. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  15. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  16. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  17. My father caught me by the ________________.
  18. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  19. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  20. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  21. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  22. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  23. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  24. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. lean — to rest against
  3. bank — for money
  4. current — electric
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. wind — to turn a key
  7. degree — temperature
  8. lean — thin
  9. lean — to bend
  10. bank — of a river
  11. arm — a part of something
  12. cabinet — a cupboard
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. bank — for money
  16. current — of water
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. mouse — for a computer
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. degree — from a university
  22. wind — moving air
  23. current — happening now
  24. degree — an amount

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