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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: deal · snap · mine · current · board · spring · wound · pit

  1. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  2. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  3. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  4. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  5. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  6. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  7. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  8. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  9. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  10. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  11. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  12. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  13. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  14. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  15. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  16. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  17. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  18. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  19. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  20. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  21. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  22. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  23. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  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. mine — for digging
  2. deal — an agreement
  3. spring — a coil
  4. deal — a big deal
  5. board — a flat piece
  6. mine — an explosive
  7. deal — to handle
  8. current — electric
  9. pit — a fruit stone
  10. board — a committee
  11. pit — a hole
  12. wound — past of 'wind'
  13. current — happening now
  14. pit — in a race
  15. mine — belonging to me
  16. board — to get on
  17. snap — to click
  18. current — of water
  19. spring — of water
  20. spring — the season
  21. wound — an injury
  22. wound — an injury
  23. snap — to speak sharply
  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