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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: scale · current · can · rule · hand · fan · straw · board

  1. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  2. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  3. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  4. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  5. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  6. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  7. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  8. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  9. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  10. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  11. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  12. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  13. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  14. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  15. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  16. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  17. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  18. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  19. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  20. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  21. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  22. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  23. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  24. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — a straw man
  2. straw — to clutch at straws
  3. hand — part of the body
  4. rule — a law
  5. can — to be able to
  6. hand — in cards
  7. can — a tin
  8. current — of water
  9. can — a tin
  10. scale — for weighing
  11. fan — to cool the air
  12. straw — dry grass
  13. rule — government
  14. current — happening now
  15. current — electric
  16. board — a committee
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. board — a flat piece
  19. board — to get on
  20. rule — to rule out
  21. scale — size or range
  22. scale — in music
  23. hand — help
  24. fan — a supporter

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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