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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  2. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  3. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  4. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  5. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  6. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  7. What do you think of the new ________________?
  8. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  9. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  10. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  11. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  12. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  13. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  14. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  15. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  16. I can't ________________ this cold.
  17. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  18. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  19. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  20. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  21. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  22. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  23. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  24. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.

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

Answer key

  1. current — happening now
  2. toast — a drink to someone
  3. degree — an amount
  4. fork — in a road
  5. cabinet — a cupboard
  6. current — electric
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. lash — to lash out
  9. current — of water
  10. snap — to snap out of it
  11. fork — to eat with
  12. stand — for spectators
  13. toast — bread
  14. lash — an eyelash
  15. degree — temperature
  16. stand — to bear
  17. snap — to speak sharply
  18. lash — a whip stroke
  19. degree — from a university
  20. fork — a garden tool
  21. snap — to click
  22. stand — on your feet
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. toast — the most admired

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