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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: ground · fork · current · leaves · snap · rush · cabinet · rash

  1. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  2. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  3. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  4. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  5. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  6. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  7. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  8. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  9. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  10. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  11. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  12. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  13. What do you think of the new ________________?
  14. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  15. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  16. Don't do anything ________________.
  17. There's no middle ________________.
  18. That must've been a ________________.
  19. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  20. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  21. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  22. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  23. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  24. The train ________________ at six o'clock.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. rash — on the skin
  3. rush — to hurry
  4. ground — the earth
  5. snap — to snap out of it
  6. cabinet — a cupboard
  7. current — happening now
  8. rush — hurry
  9. leaves — lets stay
  10. ground — crushed
  11. current — electric
  12. fork — to eat with
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. snap — to speak sharply
  15. fork — a garden tool
  16. rash — hasty
  17. ground — a position
  18. rush — a thrill
  19. snap — to click
  20. rash — a series
  21. leaves — of a tree
  22. fork — in a road
  23. current — of water
  24. leaves — to go away

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