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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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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: cabinet · lash · current · snap · court · deal · chip · mine

  1. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  2. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  3. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  4. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  5. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  6. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  7. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  8. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  9. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  10. The ball is in your ________________.
  11. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  12. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  13. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  14. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  15. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  16. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  17. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  18. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  19. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  20. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  21. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  22. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  23. What do you think of the new ________________?
  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. deal — to handle
  2. mine — for digging
  3. lash — a whip stroke
  4. current — electric
  5. chip — to eat
  6. lash — an eyelash
  7. current — of water
  8. lash — to lash out
  9. snap — to snap out of it
  10. court — for sport
  11. snap — to speak sharply
  12. chip — in a computer
  13. chip — for betting
  14. deal — a big deal
  15. court — of law
  16. current — happening now
  17. court — of a king
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. mine — an explosive
  20. mine — belonging to me
  21. deal — an agreement
  22. cabinet — a cupboard
  23. cabinet — ministers
  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