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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: cue · bay · craft · snap · cabinet · bulb · file · current

  1. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  2. The light ________________ burned out.
  3. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  4. I've got to change the light ________________.
  5. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  6. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  7. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  8. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  9. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  10. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  11. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  12. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  13. My mare is ________________ in color.
  14. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  15. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  16. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  17. What do you think of the new ________________?
  18. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  19. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  20. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  21. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  22. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  23. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  24. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. bulb — for light
  3. snap — to speak sharply
  4. bulb — for light
  5. cue — a hint
  6. cabinet — a cupboard
  7. file — a document
  8. snap — to snap out of it
  9. current — of water
  10. cue — a signal
  11. file — a tool
  12. cue — for pool
  13. bay — a horse colour
  14. craft — a handicraft
  15. current — happening now
  16. bay — to keep at bay
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. bulb — of a plant
  19. file — a line of people
  20. current — electric
  21. snap — to click
  22. craft — a skill
  23. bay — a part of the sea
  24. craft — boats

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