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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 116 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. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  2. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  3. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  4. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  5. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  6. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  7. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  8. False peace will not ________________.
  9. The ________________ market has crashed.
  10. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  11. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  12. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  13. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  14. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  15. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  16. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  17. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  18. What do you think of the new ________________?
  19. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  20. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  21. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  22. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  23. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  24. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.

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

Answer key

  1. last — final
  2. cap — of ice
  3. hand — in cards
  4. cap — a lid
  5. snap — to speak sharply
  6. bore — to tire
  7. last — finally
  8. last — to go on
  9. stock — shares
  10. hand — help
  11. stock — a soup base
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. cabinet — a cupboard
  14. bore — to drill
  15. stock — goods
  16. current — electric
  17. current — happening now
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. snap — to snap out of it
  20. bore — gave birth
  21. cap — a hat
  22. hand — part of the body
  23. current — of water
  24. snap — to click

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