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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: net · toast · file · bay · snap · last · saw · current

  1. He works in a ________________ mill.
  2. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  3. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  4. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  5. She's very handy with a ________________.
  6. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  7. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  8. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  9. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  10. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  11. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  12. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  13. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  14. False peace will not ________________.
  15. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  16. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  17. My mare is ________________ in color.
  18. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  19. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  20. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  21. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  22. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  23. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  24. At ________________, we arrived at the village.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. toast — bread
  3. net — after costs
  4. current — happening now
  5. saw — the tool
  6. bay — to keep at bay
  7. current — of water
  8. snap — to snap out of it
  9. toast — the most admired
  10. bay — a part of the sea
  11. file — a tool
  12. saw — past of 'see'
  13. current — electric
  14. last — to go on
  15. file — a document
  16. toast — a drink to someone
  17. bay — a horse colour
  18. last — final
  19. file — a line of people
  20. net — for catching
  21. snap — to click
  22. snap — to speak sharply
  23. net — in sport
  24. last — finally

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