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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: current · last · file · snap · rule · nail · scale · leaves

  1. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  2. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  3. The ________________ went through the wall.
  4. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  5. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  6. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  7. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  8. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  9. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  10. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  11. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  12. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  13. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  14. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  15. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  16. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  17. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  18. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  19. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  20. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  21. False peace will not ________________.
  22. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  23. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  24. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. current — of water
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. nail — on a finger
  5. scale — for weighing
  6. rule — to rule out
  7. rule — a law
  8. last — final
  9. file — a document
  10. snap — to click
  11. file — a tool
  12. rule — government
  13. file — a line of people
  14. current — happening now
  15. snap — to snap out of it
  16. leaves — lets stay
  17. snap — to speak sharply
  18. scale — size or range
  19. last — finally
  20. current — electric
  21. last — to go on
  22. leaves — to go away
  23. leaves — of a tree
  24. scale — in music

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