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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 120 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: snap · file · arm · current · mate · ruler · march · bulb

  1. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  2. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  3. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  4. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  5. Have you found your soul ________________?
  6. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  7. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  8. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  9. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  10. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  11. My father caught me by the ________________.
  12. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  13. I've got to change the light ________________.
  14. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  15. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  16. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  17. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  18. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  19. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  20. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  21. The light ________________ burned out.
  22. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  23. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  24. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to click
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. mate — a friend
  4. file — a line of people
  5. mate — a partner
  6. snap — to snap out of it
  7. current — of water
  8. mate — to breed
  9. bulb — of a plant
  10. ruler — a monarch
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. bulb — for light
  14. march — music
  15. file — a tool
  16. march — the month
  17. march — the month
  18. file — a document
  19. arm — a part of something
  20. current — electric
  21. bulb — for light
  22. current — happening now
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. snap — to speak sharply

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