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

Word bank: current · rock · snap · wind · cabinet · stock · vault · pit

  1. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  2. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  3. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  4. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  5. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  6. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  7. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  8. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  9. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  10. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  11. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  12. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  13. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  14. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  15. The ________________ market has crashed.
  16. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  17. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  18. What do you think of the new ________________?
  19. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  20. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  21. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  22. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  23. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  24. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to click
  2. vault — an arched ceiling
  3. rock — to move gently
  4. pit — a hole
  5. stock — a soup base
  6. wind — to turn a key
  7. vault — in gymnastics
  8. snap — to speak sharply
  9. vault — a safe
  10. current — happening now
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. wind — moving air
  13. rock — music
  14. pit — in a race
  15. stock — shares
  16. rock — a stone
  17. snap — to snap out of it
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. current — of water
  20. current — electric
  21. cabinet — a cupboard
  22. pit — a fruit stone
  23. wind — moving air
  24. stock — goods

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