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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.

Words on the sheet
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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 · bear · mine · date · rash · wind · mouse · straw

  1. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  2. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  3. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  4. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  5. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  6. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  7. Don't do anything ________________.
  8. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  9. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  10. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  11. Have you settled on a ________________?
  12. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  13. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  14. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  15. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  16. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  17. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  18. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  19. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  20. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  21. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  22. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  23. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  24. She's sitting on a gold ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. wind — moving air
  3. current — of water
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. bear — the animal
  6. bear — the animal
  7. rash — hasty
  8. straw — a straw man
  9. bear — to put up with
  10. straw — dry grass
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. rash — a series
  13. mouse — for a computer
  14. straw — to clutch at straws
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. date — the fruit
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. rash — on the skin
  19. current — electric
  20. current — happening now
  21. mine — belonging to me
  22. mine — an explosive
  23. wind — to turn a key
  24. mine — for digging

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