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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. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  2. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  3. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  4. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  5. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  6. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  7. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  8. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  9. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  10. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  11. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  12. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  13. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  14. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  15. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  16. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  17. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  18. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  19. Have you found your soul ________________?
  20. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  21. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  22. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  23. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  24. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?

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

Answer key

  1. current — happening now
  2. snap — to click
  3. snap — to speak sharply
  4. chair — a leader
  5. snap — to snap out of it
  6. clip — to cut
  7. chip — to eat
  8. chair — a professorship
  9. rock — a stone
  10. chip — in a computer
  11. clip — for paper
  12. chair — to sit on
  13. rule — to rule out
  14. rule — a law
  15. current — of water
  16. rock — music
  17. chip — for betting
  18. current — electric
  19. mate — a partner
  20. mate — a friend
  21. rock — to move gently
  22. clip — a video
  23. mate — to breed
  24. rule — government

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