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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  2. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  3. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  4. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  5. The ________________ took off on time.
  6. Have you settled on a ________________?
  7. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  8. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  9. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  10. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  11. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  12. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  13. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  14. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  15. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  16. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  17. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  18. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — a straw man
  2. current — electric
  3. staff — employees
  4. cue — for pool
  5. plane — an aircraft
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. staff — a stick
  9. straw — to clutch at straws
  10. cue — a hint
  11. plane — a tool
  12. plane — in geometry
  13. straw — dry grass
  14. staff — employees
  15. current — of water
  16. date — the fruit
  17. cue — a signal
  18. current — happening 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