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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: sharp · bound · straw · tube · current · wound · bass · object

  1. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  2. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  3. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  4. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  5. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  6. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  7. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  8. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  9. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  10. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  11. That was ________________ to happen.
  12. I'll be taking the ________________.
  13. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  14. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  15. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  16. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  17. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  18. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  19. It's one o'clock ________________.
  20. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  21. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  22. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  23. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  24. This looks like a gunshot ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the fish
  2. straw — a straw man
  3. current — electric
  4. wound — an injury
  5. sharp — with an edge
  6. sharp — clever
  7. object — a thing
  8. current — of water
  9. straw — to clutch at straws
  10. bound — tied together
  11. bound — certain
  12. tube — the underground
  13. tube — in a tire
  14. current — happening now
  15. tube — a container
  16. straw — dry grass
  17. wound — past of 'wind'
  18. bass — the instrument
  19. sharp — exactly
  20. bass — low music
  21. bound — obliged
  22. object — to protest
  23. object — an aim
  24. wound — an injury

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