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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 116 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.

Make a worksheet

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: hand · mug · rush · current · file · snap · vault · kid

  1. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  2. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  3. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  4. Where did you ________________ them?
  5. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  6. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  7. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  8. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  9. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  10. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  11. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  12. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  13. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  14. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  15. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  16. That must've been a ________________.
  17. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  18. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  19. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  20. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  21. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  22. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  23. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  24. Do you need a ________________ with that?

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

Answer key

  1. current — electric
  2. mug — a face
  3. file — a line of people
  4. mug — to rob
  5. snap — to click
  6. vault — a safe
  7. mug — a cup
  8. rush — to hurry
  9. rush — hurry
  10. file — a tool
  11. snap — to speak sharply
  12. vault — in gymnastics
  13. current — of water
  14. kid — child
  15. vault — an arched ceiling
  16. rush — a thrill
  17. kid — to tease
  18. current — happening now
  19. hand — part of the body
  20. file — a document
  21. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  22. snap — to snap out of it
  23. hand — in cards
  24. hand — help

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