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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: current · snap · staff · drill · deal · land · band · can

  1. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  2. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  3. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  4. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  5. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  6. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  7. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  8. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  9. When are we going to ________________?
  10. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  11. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  12. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  13. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  14. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  15. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  16. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  17. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  18. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  19. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  20. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  21. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  22. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  23. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  24. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.

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

Answer key

  1. can — to be able to
  2. current — electric
  3. snap — to snap out of it
  4. snap — to speak sharply
  5. drill — army training
  6. land — ground
  7. current — of water
  8. staff — employees
  9. land — to come down
  10. drill — the tool
  11. band — a ring
  12. can — a tin
  13. band — a rubber band
  14. drill — a practice
  15. deal — an agreement
  16. snap — to click
  17. land — a country
  18. deal — to handle
  19. staff — a stick
  20. staff — employees
  21. band — a music group
  22. deal — a big deal
  23. can — a tin
  24. current — happening now

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