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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. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  2. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  3. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  4. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  5. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  6. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  7. Don't do anything ________________.
  8. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  9. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  10. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  11. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  12. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  13. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  14. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  15. When will it ________________ you to start?
  16. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  17. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  18. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  19. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  20. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  21. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  22. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  23. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  24. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.

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

Answer key

  1. object — a thing
  2. current — electric
  3. firm — decided
  4. firm — a company
  5. fall — to drop
  6. snap — to click
  7. rash — hasty
  8. snap — to speak sharply
  9. fall — the season
  10. firm — steady
  11. object — an aim
  12. object — to protest
  13. snap — to snap out of it
  14. rash — on the skin
  15. suit — to fit
  16. fall — to drop
  17. present — a gift
  18. present — there
  19. suit — clothes
  20. rash — a series
  21. present — the time now
  22. current — of water
  23. suit — in cards
  24. current — happening now

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