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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. We're on a ________________ here.
  2. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  3. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  4. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  5. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  6. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  7. What do you think of the new ________________?
  8. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  11. He is an ace ________________.
  12. She's very handy with a ________________.
  13. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  14. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  15. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  16. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  17. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  18. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  19. He works in a ________________ mill.
  20. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  21. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  22. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  23. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  24. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — on a roll
  2. rest — what's left
  3. current — electric
  4. rest — what's left
  5. snap — to click
  6. rest — a break
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. snap — to speak sharply
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. current — of water
  11. pitcher — in baseball
  12. saw — the tool
  13. roll — a cake
  14. cabinet — a cupboard
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. craft — boats
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. current — happening now
  19. saw — the tool
  20. roll — a list
  21. saw — past of 'see'
  22. craft — a skill
  23. snap — to snap out of it
  24. craft — a handicraft

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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