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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. What do you think of the new ________________?
  2. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  3. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  4. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  5. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  6. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  7. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  8. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  11. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  12. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  13. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  14. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  15. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  16. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  17. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  18. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  19. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  20. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  21. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  22. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  23. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  24. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. current — happening now
  3. snap — to speak sharply
  4. degree — an amount
  5. bear — the animal
  6. degree — temperature
  7. leaves — to go away
  8. leaves — of a tree
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. cabinet — a cupboard
  11. content — happy
  12. degree — from a university
  13. content — the amount
  14. bear — the animal
  15. content — videos and posts
  16. leaves — lets stay
  17. bank — for money
  18. current — of water
  19. bank — of a river
  20. snap — to snap out of it
  21. snap — to click
  22. current — electric
  23. bear — to put up with
  24. bank — for money

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