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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: safe · straw · wound · stock · can · bound · current · firm

  1. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  2. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  3. The ________________ market has crashed.
  4. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  5. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  6. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  7. That was ________________ to happen.
  8. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  9. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  10. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  11. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  12. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  13. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  14. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  15. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  16. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  17. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  18. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  19. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  20. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  21. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  22. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  23. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  24. This looks like a gunshot ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. current — happening now
  2. straw — a straw man
  3. stock — shares
  4. wound — an injury
  5. straw — to clutch at straws
  6. stock — a soup base
  7. bound — certain
  8. firm — steady
  9. current — of water
  10. wound — past of 'wind'
  11. safe — a strongbox
  12. firm — decided
  13. can — a tin
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. can — a tin
  16. bound — obliged
  17. can — to be able to
  18. current — electric
  19. bound — tied together
  20. stock — goods
  21. firm — a company
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. straw — dry grass
  24. wound — an injury

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