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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. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  2. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  3. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  4. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  5. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  6. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  7. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  8. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  9. That was ________________ to happen.
  10. When will it ________________ you to start?
  11. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  12. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  13. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  14. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  15. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  16. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  17. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  18. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  19. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  20. Did you ________________ the meat?
  21. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  22. My father caught me by the ________________.
  23. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  24. The ball hit the back of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to speak sharply
  2. current — electric
  3. season — in sport
  4. snap — to snap out of it
  5. bound — tied together
  6. net — for catching
  7. track — a song
  8. season — of the year
  9. bound — certain
  10. suit — to fit
  11. net — after costs
  12. current — happening now
  13. snap — to click
  14. arm — a part of something
  15. current — of water
  16. track — to keep track
  17. suit — in cards
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. suit — clothes
  20. season — to add flavour
  21. track — a path
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. bound — obliged
  24. net — in sport

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