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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: object · last · current · wound · suit · straw · present · ball

  1. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  2. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  3. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  4. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  5. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  6. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  7. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  8. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  9. False peace will not ________________.
  10. When will it ________________ you to start?
  11. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  12. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  13. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  14. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  15. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  16. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  17. The King held a masked ________________.
  18. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  19. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  20. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  21. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  22. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  23. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  24. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a round shape
  2. current — of water
  3. object — to protest
  4. present — the time now
  5. current — electric
  6. current — happening now
  7. last — final
  8. straw — dry grass
  9. last — to go on
  10. suit — to fit
  11. wound — past of 'wind'
  12. suit — clothes
  13. object — a thing
  14. ball — a great time
  15. object — an aim
  16. straw — a straw man
  17. ball — a dance
  18. wound — an injury
  19. present — a gift
  20. wound — an injury
  21. last — finally
  22. suit — in cards
  23. present — there
  24. straw — to clutch at straws

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