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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: firm · current · temple · cap · chip · snap · fall · kick

  1. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  2. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  3. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  4. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  5. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  6. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  7. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  8. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  9. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  10. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  11. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  12. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  13. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  14. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  15. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  16. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  17. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  18. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  19. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  20. When was this ________________ built?
  21. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  22. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  23. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  24. Let us try to swim against the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. snap — to snap out of it
  3. snap — to speak sharply
  4. fall — to drop
  5. fall — the season
  6. kick — with a leg
  7. cap — a hat
  8. kick — a thrill
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. current — electric
  11. cap — of ice
  12. chip — to eat
  13. temple — side of the head
  14. kick — in football
  15. chip — in a computer
  16. current — happening now
  17. chip — for betting
  18. firm — decided
  19. snap — to click
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. firm — a company
  22. firm — steady
  23. cap — a lid
  24. current — of water

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