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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. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  3. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  4. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  5. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  6. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  7. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  8. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  9. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  10. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  11. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  12. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  13. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  14. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  15. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  16. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  17. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  18. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  19. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  20. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  21. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  22. Where did you ________________ them?
  23. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  24. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.

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

Answer key

  1. current — electric
  2. snap — to snap out of it
  3. hand — part of the body
  4. chip — in a computer
  5. chip — for betting
  6. march — the month
  7. snap — to click
  8. board — a flat piece
  9. mug — a cup
  10. march — the month
  11. wave — with your hand
  12. chip — to eat
  13. wave — of the sea
  14. current — of water
  15. mug — a face
  16. hand — in cards
  17. current — happening now
  18. snap — to speak sharply
  19. wave — a sudden rise
  20. hand — help
  21. board — a committee
  22. mug — to rob
  23. march — music
  24. board — to get 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