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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 120 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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
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: bark · current · clip · bat · cabinet · can · wind · temple

  1. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  2. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  3. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  4. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  5. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  6. When was this ________________ built?
  7. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  8. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  9. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  10. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  11. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  12. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  13. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  14. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  15. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  16. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  17. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  18. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  19. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  20. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  21. What do you think of the new ________________?
  22. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  23. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  24. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.

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

Answer key

  1. current — of water
  2. clip — a video
  3. can — a tin
  4. current — happening now
  5. bat — in an idiom
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. wind — moving air
  8. bat — for baseball
  9. can — a tin
  10. can — to be able to
  11. cabinet — a cupboard
  12. wind — moving air
  13. wind — to turn a key
  14. bat — the animal
  15. temple — side of the head
  16. bark — to shout
  17. bark — a dog's sound
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. bark — of a tree
  20. clip — to cut
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. current — electric
  23. clip — for paper
  24. cabinet — ministers

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