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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: fall · ball · present · wound · suit · bank · current · snap

  1. When will it ________________ you to start?
  2. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  3. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  4. The King held a masked ________________.
  5. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  6. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  7. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  8. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  9. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  10. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  11. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  12. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  13. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  14. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  15. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  16. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  17. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  18. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  19. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  20. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  21. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  22. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  23. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  24. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — to fit
  2. fall — the season
  3. bank — for money
  4. ball — a dance
  5. current — of water
  6. wound — an injury
  7. current — happening now
  8. wound — an injury
  9. snap — to click
  10. ball — a great time
  11. fall — to drop
  12. snap — to snap out of it
  13. bank — for money
  14. suit — clothes
  15. ball — a round shape
  16. present — a gift
  17. bank — of a river
  18. fall — to drop
  19. snap — to speak sharply
  20. wound — past of 'wind'
  21. present — there
  22. current — electric
  23. suit — in cards
  24. present — the time now

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