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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: straw · swing · current · rest · safe · roll · track · wound

  1. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  2. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  3. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  4. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  5. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  6. David sat on the ________________.
  7. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  8. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  9. We're on a ________________ here.
  10. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  11. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  12. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  13. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  14. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  15. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  16. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  17. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  18. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  19. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  20. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  21. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  22. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  23. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  24. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a list
  2. swing — music
  3. straw — a straw man
  4. rest — what's left
  5. straw — dry grass
  6. swing — to play on
  7. straw — to clutch at straws
  8. track — a path
  9. roll — on a roll
  10. wound — past of 'wind'
  11. rest — a break
  12. wound — an injury
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. track — to keep track
  15. swing — in golf
  16. current — happening now
  17. safe — a strongbox
  18. current — of water
  19. wound — an injury
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. track — a song
  22. rest — what's left
  23. roll — a cake
  24. current — electric

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