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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: file · sharp · cabinet · trunk · current · lie · mug · snap

  1. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  2. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  3. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  4. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  5. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  6. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  7. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  8. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  9. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  10. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  11. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  12. Where did you ________________ them?
  13. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  14. It's one o'clock ________________.
  15. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  16. What do you think of the new ________________?
  17. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  18. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  19. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  20. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  21. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  22. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  23. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  24. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.

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

Answer key

  1. current — electric
  2. snap — to click
  3. file — a document
  4. cabinet — a cupboard
  5. snap — to speak sharply
  6. trunk — of a car
  7. trunk — of a tree
  8. sharp — with an edge
  9. mug — a face
  10. file — a line of people
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. mug — to rob
  13. file — a tool
  14. sharp — exactly
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. trunk — of an elephant
  18. current — of water
  19. sharp — clever
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. mug — a cup
  22. current — happening now
  23. lie — to recline
  24. snap — to snap out of it

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