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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. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  2. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  3. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  4. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  5. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  6. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  7. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  8. False peace will not ________________.
  9. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  10. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  11. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  12. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  13. What do you think of the new ________________?
  14. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  15. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  16. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  17. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  18. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  19. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  20. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  21. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  22. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  23. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  24. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — to pay attention
  2. snap — to snap out of it
  3. snap — to click
  4. current — of water
  5. mark — a trace
  6. scale — size or range
  7. mark — a grade
  8. last — to go on
  9. bank — for money
  10. scale — for weighing
  11. current — electric
  12. current — happening now
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. ruler — a monarch
  16. last — final
  17. snap — to speak sharply
  18. scale — in music
  19. bank — of a river
  20. cabinet — a cupboard
  21. last — finally
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. bank — for money
  24. ruler — for measuring

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