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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: current · wound · dip · ball · object · deal · snap · stick

  1. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  2. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  3. The King held a masked ________________.
  4. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  5. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  6. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  7. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  8. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  9. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  10. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  11. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  12. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  13. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  14. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  15. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  16. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  17. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  18. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  19. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  20. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  21. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  22. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  23. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  24. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to click
  2. deal — to handle
  3. ball — a dance
  4. dip — a sauce
  5. current — electric
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. stick — to attach or keep to
  8. object — an aim
  9. wound — an injury
  10. current — of water
  11. deal — a big deal
  12. ball — a great time
  13. ball — a round shape
  14. object — a thing
  15. current — happening now
  16. wound — an injury
  17. dip — to dunk
  18. snap — to snap out of it
  19. deal — an agreement
  20. dip — to sink
  21. wound — past of 'wind'
  22. snap — to speak sharply
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. object — to protest

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