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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: bear · snap · staff · rock · cold · content · current · fork

  1. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  2. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  3. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  4. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  5. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  6. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  7. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  8. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  9. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  10. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  11. The water is too ________________.
  12. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  13. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  14. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  15. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  16. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  17. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  18. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  19. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  20. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  21. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  22. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  23. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  24. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cold — an illness
  2. rock — music
  3. rock — a stone
  4. bear — the animal
  5. cold — the Cold War
  6. snap — to speak sharply
  7. staff — employees
  8. snap — to click
  9. bear — to put up with
  10. fork — in a road
  11. cold — not warm
  12. staff — a stick
  13. content — the amount
  14. rock — to move gently
  15. staff — employees
  16. fork — to eat with
  17. current — of water
  18. current — happening now
  19. bear — the animal
  20. fork — a garden tool
  21. content — videos and posts
  22. current — electric
  23. snap — to snap out of it
  24. content — happy

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