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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 116 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. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  2. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  3. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  4. That was ________________ to happen.
  5. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  6. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  7. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  8. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  9. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  10. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  11. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  12. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  13. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  14. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  15. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  16. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  17. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  18. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  19. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  20. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  21. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  22. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  23. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  24. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.

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

Answer key

  1. current — electric
  2. fine — a penalty
  3. snap — to snap out of it
  4. bound — certain
  5. fall — to drop
  6. rule — a law
  7. fall — the season
  8. bound — tied together
  9. bound — obliged
  10. rule — government
  11. can — to be able to
  12. current — happening now
  13. can — a tin
  14. rule — to rule out
  15. fall — to drop
  16. degree — from a university
  17. snap — to speak sharply
  18. fine — all right
  19. degree — temperature
  20. current — of water
  21. can — a tin
  22. degree — an amount
  23. fine — high quality
  24. snap — to click

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