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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.

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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  2. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  3. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  4. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  5. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  6. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  7. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  8. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  9. He was locked up in a ________________.
  10. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  11. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  12. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  13. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  14. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  15. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  16. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  17. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  18. David sat on the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. current — electric
  2. swing — in golf
  3. current — of water
  4. hand — part of the body
  5. current — happening now
  6. snap — to click
  7. rock — a stone
  8. rock — to move gently
  9. cell — in a prison
  10. hand — help
  11. swing — music
  12. snap — to snap out of it
  13. cell — a phone
  14. hand — in cards
  15. cell — in biology
  16. snap — to speak sharply
  17. rock — music
  18. swing — to play on

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