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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 · row · bark · snap · press · jam · clip · roll

  1. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  2. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  3. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  4. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  5. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  6. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  7. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  8. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  9. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  10. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  11. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  12. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  13. Did you ________________ the button?
  14. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  15. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  16. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  17. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  18. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  19. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  20. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  21. We're on a ________________ here.
  22. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  23. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  24. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a cake
  2. current — electric
  3. roll — a list
  4. bark — of a tree
  5. press — newspapers
  6. row — to paddle
  7. row — a quarrel
  8. row — a line
  9. clip — to cut
  10. jam — in traffic
  11. snap — to snap out of it
  12. jam — a tight spot
  13. press — to push
  14. press — a publisher
  15. snap — to speak sharply
  16. jam — to spread on bread
  17. clip — for paper
  18. clip — a video
  19. current — of water
  20. current — happening now
  21. roll — on a roll
  22. bark — to shout
  23. bark — a dog's sound
  24. snap — to click

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