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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. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  2. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  3. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  4. This piece is in a major ________________.
  5. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  6. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  7. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  8. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  9. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  10. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  11. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  12. Don't do anything ________________.
  13. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  14. What do you think of the new ________________?
  15. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  16. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  17. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  18. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  19. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  20. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  21. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  22. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  23. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  24. I seem to be developing a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to snap out of it
  2. can — to be able to
  3. current — happening now
  4. key — in music
  5. wake — to stop sleeping
  6. wake — a trail
  7. wake — before a funeral
  8. deal — an agreement
  9. deal — a big deal
  10. rash — a series
  11. current — electric
  12. rash — hasty
  13. snap — to click
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. can — a tin
  16. cabinet — a cupboard
  17. can — a tin
  18. snap — to speak sharply
  19. deal — to handle
  20. key — the most important part
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. key — for a lock
  23. current — of water
  24. rash — on the skin

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