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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 116 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: snap · present · wind · firm · rush · chair · sharp · current

  1. It's one o'clock ________________.
  2. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  3. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  4. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  5. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  6. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  7. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  8. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  9. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  10. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  11. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  12. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  13. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  14. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  15. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  16. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  17. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  18. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  19. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  20. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  21. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  22. That must've been a ________________.
  23. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  24. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — exactly
  2. rush — to hurry
  3. wind — to turn a key
  4. current — of water
  5. present — there
  6. firm — a company
  7. chair — to sit on
  8. present — a gift
  9. sharp — clever
  10. wind — moving air
  11. firm — decided
  12. chair — a professorship
  13. rush — hurry
  14. snap — to speak sharply
  15. current — electric
  16. present — the time now
  17. current — happening now
  18. wind — moving air
  19. snap — to snap out of it
  20. firm — steady
  21. sharp — with an edge
  22. rush — a thrill
  23. chair — a leader
  24. snap — to click

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