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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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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: fall · racket · drill · snap · leaves · kid · chip · current

  1. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  2. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  3. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  4. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  5. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  6. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  7. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  8. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  9. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  10. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  11. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  12. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  13. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  14. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  15. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  16. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  17. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  18. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  19. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  20. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  21. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  22. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  23. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  24. He hit the ball with his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — the tool
  2. fall — the season
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. fall — to drop
  5. snap — to speak sharply
  6. chip — to eat
  7. kid — to tease
  8. drill — army training
  9. snap — to snap out of it
  10. kid — child
  11. drill — a practice
  12. leaves — lets stay
  13. chip — in a computer
  14. leaves — of a tree
  15. snap — to click
  16. racket — a loud noise
  17. current — electric
  18. current — of water
  19. leaves — to go away
  20. chip — for betting
  21. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  22. current — happening now
  23. fall — to drop
  24. racket — for tennis

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