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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: object · mouse · spring · tear · snap · jam · file · current

  1. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  2. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  3. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  4. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  5. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  6. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  7. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  8. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  9. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  10. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  11. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  12. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  13. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  14. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  15. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  16. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  17. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  18. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  19. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  20. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  21. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  22. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  23. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  24. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to click
  2. file — a tool
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. tear — from crying
  5. snap — to speak sharply
  6. object — an aim
  7. snap — to snap out of it
  8. current — electric
  9. jam — to spread on bread
  10. file — a document
  11. tear — from crying
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. current — of water
  14. jam — in traffic
  15. spring — the season
  16. spring — of water
  17. object — a thing
  18. mouse — for a computer
  19. spring — a coil
  20. tear — to rip
  21. file — a line of people
  22. current — happening now
  23. jam — a tight spot
  24. object — to protest

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