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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 116 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. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  2. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  3. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  4. When will it ________________ you to start?
  5. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  6. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  7. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  8. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  9. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  10. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  11. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  12. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  13. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  14. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  15. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  16. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  17. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  18. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  19. How do you ________________ your surname?
  20. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  21. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  22. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  23. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  24. The polar ice ________________ is melting.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — a short time
  2. cue — a hint
  3. cue — for pool
  4. suit — to fit
  5. kid — to tease
  6. suit — in cards
  7. cap — a hat
  8. cap — a lid
  9. current — electric
  10. current — happening now
  11. suit — clothes
  12. lean — to bend
  13. club — for dancing
  14. current — of water
  15. spell — magic
  16. lean — to rest against
  17. kid — child
  18. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  19. spell — letters
  20. cue — a signal
  21. club — for golf
  22. club — a group
  23. lean — thin
  24. cap — of ice

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