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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 · bass · snap · current · ruler · stem · bat · shower

  1. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  2. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  3. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  4. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  5. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  6. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  7. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  8. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  9. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  10. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  11. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  12. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  13. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  14. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  15. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  16. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  17. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  18. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  19. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  20. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  21. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  22. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  23. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  24. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. current — happening now
  2. bat — for baseball
  3. stem — of a plant
  4. ruler — a monarch
  5. shower — to wash
  6. bass — the fish
  7. shower — rain
  8. file — a line of people
  9. file — a document
  10. snap — to click
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. snap — to speak sharply
  14. current — electric
  15. bass — the instrument
  16. snap — to snap out of it
  17. bat — the animal
  18. current — of water
  19. bass — low music
  20. stem — a stem cell
  21. stem — to come from
  22. file — a tool
  23. bat — in an idiom
  24. shower — a meteor shower

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