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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.

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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: scale · cabinet · fall · mate · snap · bulb · current · sharp

  1. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  2. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  3. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  4. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  7. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  8. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  9. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  10. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  11. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  12. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  13. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  14. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  15. What do you think of the new ________________?
  16. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  17. It's one o'clock ________________.
  18. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  19. The light ________________ burned out.
  20. Have you found your soul ________________?
  21. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  22. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  23. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  24. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — to breed
  2. snap — to click
  3. fall — to drop
  4. scale — in music
  5. bulb — for light
  6. current — of water
  7. mate — a friend
  8. current — electric
  9. fall — the season
  10. scale — size or range
  11. snap — to speak sharply
  12. sharp — with an edge
  13. bulb — of a plant
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. current — happening now
  17. sharp — exactly
  18. sharp — clever
  19. bulb — for light
  20. mate — a partner
  21. cabinet — a cupboard
  22. snap — to snap out of it
  23. fall — to drop
  24. scale — for weighing

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