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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. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  2. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  3. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  4. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  5. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  6. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  7. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  8. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  9. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  10. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  11. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  12. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  13. This piece is in a major ________________.
  14. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  15. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  16. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  17. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  18. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  19. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  20. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  21. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  22. False peace will not ________________.
  23. That must've been a ________________.
  24. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a hint
  2. chest — of your body
  3. current — of water
  4. wound — past of 'wind'
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. key — the most important part
  7. stick — to attach or keep to
  8. current — happening now
  9. chest — a box
  10. rush — to hurry
  11. rush — hurry
  12. current — electric
  13. key — in music
  14. last — final
  15. key — for a lock
  16. wound — an injury
  17. wound — an injury
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. chest — of your body
  20. cue — for pool
  21. last — finally
  22. last — to go on
  23. rush — a thrill
  24. cue — a signal

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