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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 116 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: rush · hand · can · dip · tube · fine · straw · current

  1. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  2. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  3. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  4. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  5. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  6. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  7. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  8. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  9. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  10. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  11. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  12. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  13. I'll be taking the ________________.
  14. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  15. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  16. That must've been a ________________.
  17. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  19. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  20. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  21. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  22. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  23. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  24. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — high quality
  2. can — to be able to
  3. can — a tin
  4. rush — to hurry
  5. straw — dry grass
  6. current — electric
  7. can — a tin
  8. straw — a straw man
  9. hand — part of the body
  10. dip — to sink
  11. fine — all right
  12. straw — to clutch at straws
  13. tube — the underground
  14. fine — a penalty
  15. hand — help
  16. rush — a thrill
  17. tube — a container
  18. rush — hurry
  19. current — happening now
  20. dip — a sauce
  21. current — of water
  22. hand — in cards
  23. dip — to dunk
  24. tube — in a tire

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