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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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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: current · band · pop · wind · can · kid · bear · rest

  1. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  2. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  3. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  4. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  5. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  6. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  7. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  8. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  9. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  10. We're almost out of ________________.
  11. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  12. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  13. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  14. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  15. You don't need to ________________ round.
  16. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  17. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  18. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  19. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  20. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  21. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  22. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  23. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  24. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — to turn a key
  2. current — happening now
  3. wind — moving air
  4. can — a tin
  5. bear — the animal
  6. current — electric
  7. wind — moving air
  8. current — of water
  9. bear — to put up with
  10. pop — soda
  11. pop — music
  12. rest — what's left
  13. rest — what's left
  14. can — to be able to
  15. pop — to visit
  16. rest — a break
  17. can — a tin
  18. bear — the animal
  19. band — a music group
  20. band — a ring
  21. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  22. kid — child
  23. kid — to tease
  24. band — a rubber band

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