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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.

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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
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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: stock · mine · kid · rush · chip · current · snap · fall

  1. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  2. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  3. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  4. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  5. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  6. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  7. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  8. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  9. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  10. That must've been a ________________.
  11. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  12. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  13. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  14. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  15. The ________________ market has crashed.
  16. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  17. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  18. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  19. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  20. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  21. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  22. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  23. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  24. What's the difference between broth and ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. current — electric
  2. fall — to drop
  3. chip — in a computer
  4. kid — to tease
  5. snap — to snap out of it
  6. snap — to click
  7. rush — to hurry
  8. snap — to speak sharply
  9. rush — hurry
  10. rush — a thrill
  11. current — happening now
  12. mine — an explosive
  13. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  14. current — of water
  15. stock — shares
  16. stock — goods
  17. chip — for betting
  18. fall — to drop
  19. mine — belonging to me
  20. chip — to eat
  21. fall — the season
  22. kid — child
  23. mine — for digging
  24. stock — a soup base

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