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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: drill · dip · snap · cabinet · current · suit · mine · chip

  1. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  2. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  3. When will it ________________ you to start?
  4. What do you think of the new ________________?
  5. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  6. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  7. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  8. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  9. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  10. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  11. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  12. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  13. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  14. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  15. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  16. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  17. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  18. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  19. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  20. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  21. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  22. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  23. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  24. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to sink
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. suit — to fit
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. current — electric
  6. mine — belonging to me
  7. suit — in cards
  8. snap — to click
  9. mine — for digging
  10. mine — an explosive
  11. snap — to snap out of it
  12. chip — to eat
  13. current — happening now
  14. dip — a sauce
  15. cabinet — a cupboard
  16. chip — for betting
  17. suit — clothes
  18. drill — army training
  19. drill — a practice
  20. current — of water
  21. dip — to dunk
  22. chip — in a computer
  23. snap — to speak sharply
  24. drill — the tool

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