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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. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  2. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  3. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  4. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  5. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  6. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  7. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  8. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  9. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  10. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  11. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  12. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  13. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  14. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  15. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  16. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  17. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  18. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  19. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  20. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  21. When will it ________________ you to start?
  22. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  23. That was ________________ to happen.
  24. Let us try to swim against the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — clothes
  2. suit — in cards
  3. band — a rubber band
  4. mine — belonging to me
  5. snap — to snap out of it
  6. mark — to pay attention
  7. current — happening now
  8. mark — a grade
  9. net — for catching
  10. bound — obliged
  11. snap — to speak sharply
  12. band — a ring
  13. mark — a trace
  14. mine — an explosive
  15. band — a music group
  16. current — electric
  17. snap — to click
  18. net — in sport
  19. bound — tied together
  20. mine — for digging
  21. suit — to fit
  22. net — after costs
  23. bound — certain
  24. current — of water

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