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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. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  2. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  3. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  4. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  5. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  6. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  7. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  8. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  9. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  10. When will it ________________ you to start?
  11. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  12. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  13. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  14. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  15. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  16. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  17. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  18. What do you think of the new ________________?
  19. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  20. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  21. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  22. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  23. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  24. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — a cupboard
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. snap — to click
  4. fine — all right
  5. row — to paddle
  6. fine — high quality
  7. chair — a leader
  8. current — happening now
  9. chair — a professorship
  10. suit — to fit
  11. lash — an eyelash
  12. suit — clothes
  13. snap — to snap out of it
  14. current — electric
  15. lash — to lash out
  16. lash — a whip stroke
  17. row — a quarrel
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. current — of water
  20. suit — in cards
  21. chair — to sit on
  22. snap — to speak sharply
  23. fine — a penalty
  24. row — a line

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