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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. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  3. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  4. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  5. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  6. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  7. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  8. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  9. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  10. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  11. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  12. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  13. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  14. I'll be taking the ________________.
  15. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  16. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  17. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  18. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  19. When will it ________________ you to start?
  20. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  21. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  22. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  23. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  24. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.

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. tube — a container
  3. tube — in a tire
  4. current — of water
  5. row — a line
  6. suit — in cards
  7. chip — for betting
  8. snap — to click
  9. chair — to sit on
  10. current — electric
  11. snap — to speak sharply
  12. row — a quarrel
  13. rock — music
  14. tube — the underground
  15. current — happening now
  16. chip — to eat
  17. suit — clothes
  18. rock — to move gently
  19. suit — to fit
  20. chair — a professorship
  21. chair — a leader
  22. chip — in a computer
  23. rock — a stone
  24. row — to paddle

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