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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. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  2. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  3. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  4. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  5. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  6. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  7. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  8. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  9. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  10. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  11. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  12. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  13. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  14. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  15. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  16. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  17. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  18. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  19. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  20. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  21. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  22. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  23. The tickets are free of ________________.
  24. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to snap out of it
  2. current — electric
  3. staff — employees
  4. staff — a stick
  5. current — of water
  6. kid — child
  7. prune — to trim
  8. staff — employees
  9. bowl — to roll
  10. kid — to tease
  11. bowl — a dish
  12. toast — bread
  13. charge — electricity
  14. prune — the fruit
  15. toast — the most admired
  16. snap — to speak sharply
  17. snap — to click
  18. toast — a drink to someone
  19. bowl — a football final
  20. charge — in control
  21. current — happening now
  22. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  23. charge — a price
  24. prune — to trim

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