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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. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  2. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  3. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  4. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  5. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  6. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  7. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  8. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  9. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  10. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  11. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  12. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  13. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  14. This piece is in a major ________________.
  15. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  16. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  17. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  18. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  19. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  20. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  21. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  22. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  23. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  24. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to click
  2. current — happening now
  3. snap — to snap out of it
  4. deal — a big deal
  5. band — a rubber band
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. hand — help
  8. key — for a lock
  9. key — the most important part
  10. deal — an agreement
  11. band — a music group
  12. patient — calm and waiting
  13. can — a tin
  14. key — in music
  15. can — a tin
  16. current — of water
  17. band — a ring
  18. hand — in cards
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. snap — to speak sharply
  21. hand — part of the body
  22. deal — to handle
  23. can — to be able to
  24. current — electric

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