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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: arm · mouse · nail · leaves · snap · cap · current · bay

  1. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  2. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  3. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  4. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  5. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  6. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  7. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  8. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  9. The ________________ went through the wall.
  10. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  11. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  12. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  13. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  14. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  15. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  16. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  17. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  18. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  19. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  20. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  21. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  22. My mare is ________________ in color.
  23. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  24. My father caught me by the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to click
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. current — happening now
  4. leaves — to go away
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. cap — a hat
  7. bay — a part of the sea
  8. snap — to speak sharply
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. mouse — for a computer
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. cap — of ice
  13. nail — on a finger
  14. arm — a part of something
  15. snap — to snap out of it
  16. current — of water
  17. leaves — of a tree
  18. cap — a lid
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. bay — to keep at bay
  21. leaves — lets stay
  22. bay — a horse colour
  23. current — electric
  24. arm — part of the body

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