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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: arm · current · mine · mark · rock · ball · snap · file

  1. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  2. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  3. The King held a masked ________________.
  4. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  5. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  6. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  7. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  8. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  9. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  10. My father caught me by the ________________.
  11. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  12. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  13. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  14. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  15. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  16. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  17. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  18. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  19. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  20. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  21. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  22. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  23. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  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. mine — belonging to me
  3. ball — a dance
  4. mine — an explosive
  5. mark — to pay attention
  6. rock — music
  7. arm — a part of something
  8. rock — to move gently
  9. mark — a grade
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. file — a line of people
  12. file — a tool
  13. rock — a stone
  14. snap — to speak sharply
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. mark — a trace
  17. current — electric
  18. current — of water
  19. snap — to snap out of it
  20. ball — a great time
  21. file — a document
  22. mine — for digging
  23. ball — a round shape
  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