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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 120 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: craft · court · current · clip · chip · snap · arm · lie

  1. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  2. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  3. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  4. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  5. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  6. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  7. The ball is in your ________________.
  8. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  9. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  10. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  11. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  12. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  13. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  14. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  15. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  16. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  17. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  18. My father caught me by the ________________.
  19. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  20. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  21. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  22. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  23. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  24. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to speak sharply
  2. current — happening now
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. court — of law
  5. court — of a king
  6. snap — to snap out of it
  7. court — for sport
  8. current — electric
  9. arm — a part of something
  10. clip — for paper
  11. clip — a video
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. chip — to eat
  14. snap — to click
  15. chip — for betting
  16. clip — to cut
  17. lie — to recline
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. chip — in a computer
  20. craft — a skill
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. craft — a handicraft
  23. current — of water
  24. craft — boats

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