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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 120 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: firm · dip · current · file · snap · stick · bore · board

  1. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  2. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  3. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  4. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  5. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  6. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  7. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  8. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  9. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  10. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  11. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  12. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  13. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  14. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  15. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  16. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  17. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  18. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  19. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  20. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  21. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  22. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  23. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  24. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to speak sharply
  2. file — a tool
  3. current — electric
  4. bore — to drill
  5. snap — to snap out of it
  6. firm — steady
  7. bore — to tire
  8. firm — decided
  9. file — a document
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. firm — a company
  12. dip — to dunk
  13. current — happening now
  14. board — a flat piece
  15. bore — gave birth
  16. snap — to click
  17. dip — to sink
  18. file — a line of people
  19. board — to get on
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. dip — a sauce
  22. stick — to attach or keep to
  23. current — of water
  24. board — a committee

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