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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: chip · snap · season · safe · chair · rock · current · straw

  1. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  2. Did you ________________ the meat?
  3. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  4. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  5. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  6. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  7. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  8. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  9. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  10. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  11. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  12. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  13. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  14. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  15. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  16. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  17. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  18. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  19. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  20. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  21. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  22. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  23. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  24. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to click
  2. season — to add flavour
  3. current — of water
  4. safe — a strongbox
  5. straw — a straw man
  6. rock — to move gently
  7. rock — music
  8. chair — to sit on
  9. snap — to speak sharply
  10. season — in sport
  11. current — electric
  12. rock — a stone
  13. straw — to clutch at straws
  14. chair — a leader
  15. snap — to snap out of it
  16. straw — dry grass
  17. chair — a professorship
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. season — of the year
  21. chip — to eat
  22. chip — in a computer
  23. chip — for betting
  24. current — happening now

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