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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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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. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  2. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  3. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  4. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  5. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  6. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  7. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  8. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  9. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  10. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  11. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  12. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  13. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  14. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  15. The ________________ went through the wall.
  16. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  17. I can't ________________ this cold.
  18. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  19. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  20. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  21. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  22. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  23. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  24. What do you think of the new ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to speak sharply
  2. object — a thing
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. stand — for spectators
  6. current — of water
  7. current — happening now
  8. fork — to eat with
  9. cabinet — a cupboard
  10. current — electric
  11. perch — the fish
  12. snap — to snap out of it
  13. fork — in a road
  14. object — to protest
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. fork — a garden tool
  17. stand — to bear
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. snap — to click
  20. stand — on your feet
  21. object — an aim
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. nail — on a finger
  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