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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: bass · hand · wind · jam · current · suit · drill · nail

  1. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  2. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  3. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  4. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  5. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  6. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  7. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  8. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  9. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  10. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  11. When will it ________________ you to start?
  12. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  13. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  14. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  15. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  16. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  17. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  18. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  19. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  20. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  21. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  22. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  23. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  24. The ________________ went through the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — in traffic
  2. jam — a tight spot
  3. hand — help
  4. suit — clothes
  5. drill — army training
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. wind — moving air
  8. hand — part of the body
  9. hand — in cards
  10. bass — low music
  11. suit — to fit
  12. current — happening now
  13. current — of water
  14. drill — a practice
  15. jam — to spread on bread
  16. bass — the instrument
  17. wind — moving air
  18. bass — the fish
  19. drill — the tool
  20. wind — to turn a key
  21. nail — on a finger
  22. suit — in cards
  23. current — electric
  24. nail — for a hammer

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