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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.

Make a worksheet

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
468
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: perch · cabinet · snap · current · dip · ball · wound · file

  1. What do you think of the new ________________?
  2. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  3. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  4. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  5. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  6. The King held a masked ________________.
  7. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  8. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  9. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  10. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  11. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  12. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  13. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  14. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  15. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  16. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  17. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  18. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  19. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  20. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  21. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  22. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  23. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  24. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. current — happening now
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. snap — to snap out of it
  5. dip — to sink
  6. ball — a dance
  7. file — a document
  8. ball — a great time
  9. dip — to dunk
  10. cabinet — a cupboard
  11. wound — past of 'wind'
  12. snap — to click
  13. current — electric
  14. current — of water
  15. file — a line of people
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. perch — the fish
  18. file — a tool
  19. dip — a sauce
  20. snap — to speak sharply
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. wound — an injury
  23. ball — a round shape
  24. wound — an injury

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