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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: craft · fall · cabinet · suit · bear · current · pop · snap

  1. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  2. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  3. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  4. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  5. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  6. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  7. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  8. You don't need to ________________ round.
  9. We're almost out of ________________.
  10. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  11. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  12. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  13. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  14. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  15. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  16. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  17. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  18. What do you think of the new ________________?
  19. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  20. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  21. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  22. When will it ________________ you to start?
  23. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  24. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. suit — clothes
  3. fall — to drop
  4. craft — a skill
  5. current — electric
  6. suit — in cards
  7. snap — to speak sharply
  8. pop — to visit
  9. pop — soda
  10. craft — boats
  11. bear — to put up with
  12. current — happening now
  13. snap — to click
  14. snap — to snap out of it
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. bear — the animal
  17. cabinet — a cupboard
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. current — of water
  20. pop — music
  21. craft — a handicraft
  22. suit — to fit
  23. bear — the animal
  24. fall — the season

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