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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. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  2. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  3. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  4. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  5. What do you think of the new ________________?
  6. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  7. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  8. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  9. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  10. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  11. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  12. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  13. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  14. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  15. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  16. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  17. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  18. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  19. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  20. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  21. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  22. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  23. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  24. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. mine — an explosive
  3. mouse — for a computer
  4. cabinet — a cupboard
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. snap — to click
  7. mine — belonging to me
  8. cap — of ice
  9. snap — to speak sharply
  10. chip — for betting
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. chip — in a computer
  13. mine — for digging
  14. snap — to snap out of it
  15. chip — to eat
  16. lean — to bend
  17. current — electric
  18. lean — thin
  19. cap — a lid
  20. lean — to rest against
  21. current — of water
  22. cap — a hat
  23. current — happening now
  24. cabinet — ministers

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