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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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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 · nail · straw · chest · wave · pass · roll · wind

  1. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  2. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  3. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  4. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  5. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  6. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  7. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  8. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  9. The ________________ went through the wall.
  10. We're on a ________________ here.
  11. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  12. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  13. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  14. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  15. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  16. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  17. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  18. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  19. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  20. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  21. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  22. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  23. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  24. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — of your body
  2. straw — dry grass
  3. wind — moving air
  4. wind — to turn a key
  5. straw — to clutch at straws
  6. roll — a list
  7. current — happening now
  8. wave — with your hand
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. roll — on a roll
  11. nail — on a finger
  12. wave — of the sea
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. wind — moving air
  15. roll — a cake
  16. current — electric
  17. straw — a straw man
  18. pass — a permit
  19. wave — a sudden rise
  20. chest — a box
  21. pass — to spend time
  22. current — of water
  23. chest — of your body
  24. pass — to succeed

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