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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. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  2. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  3. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  4. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  5. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  6. That must've been a ________________.
  7. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  8. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  9. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  10. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  11. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  12. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  13. False peace will not ________________.
  14. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  15. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  16. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  17. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  18. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  19. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  20. He was locked up in a ________________.
  21. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  22. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  23. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  24. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. can — a tin
  3. rush — to hurry
  4. current — of water
  5. can — a tin
  6. rush — a thrill
  7. last — finally
  8. cell — a phone
  9. rush — hurry
  10. current — electric
  11. can — to be able to
  12. snap — to snap out of it
  13. last — to go on
  14. degree — an amount
  15. degree — temperature
  16. current — happening now
  17. cell — in biology
  18. snap — to click
  19. last — final
  20. cell — in a prison
  21. staff — a stick
  22. staff — employees
  23. degree — from a university
  24. snap — to speak sharply

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