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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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: current · plane · stick · cabinet · snap · craft · can · roll

  1. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  2. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  3. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  4. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  5. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  6. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  7. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  8. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  9. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  10. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  11. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  12. We're on a ________________ here.
  13. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  14. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  15. What do you think of the new ________________?
  16. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  17. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  18. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  19. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  20. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  21. The ________________ took off on time.
  22. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  23. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  24. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.

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. roll — a cake
  4. current — happening now
  5. craft — boats
  6. craft — a skill
  7. can — a tin
  8. snap — to speak sharply
  9. current — electric
  10. roll — a list
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. roll — on a roll
  13. plane — a tool
  14. can — a tin
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. craft — a handicraft
  17. plane — in geometry
  18. snap — to click
  19. current — of water
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. plane — an aircraft
  22. cabinet — a cupboard
  23. stick — to attach or keep to
  24. cabinet — ministers

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