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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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468
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: straw · bulb · current · stand · bank · rest · dip · net

  1. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  2. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  3. The light ________________ burned out.
  4. I can't ________________ this cold.
  5. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  6. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  7. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  8. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  9. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  10. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  11. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  12. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  13. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  14. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  15. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  16. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  17. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  18. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  19. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  20. I've got to change the light ________________.
  21. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  22. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  23. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  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. bank — for money
  2. bulb — of a plant
  3. bulb — for light
  4. stand — to bear
  5. current — happening now
  6. bank — for money
  7. net — in sport
  8. net — after costs
  9. straw — dry grass
  10. dip — to dunk
  11. current — electric
  12. net — for catching
  13. rest — a break
  14. dip — a sauce
  15. bank — of a river
  16. current — of water
  17. stand — for spectators
  18. straw — a straw man
  19. stand — on your feet
  20. bulb — for light
  21. dip — to sink
  22. rest — what's left
  23. rest — what's left
  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