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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. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  2. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  3. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  4. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  5. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  6. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  7. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  8. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  9. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  10. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  11. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  12. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  13. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  14. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  15. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  16. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  17. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  18. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  19. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  20. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  21. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  22. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  23. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  24. Check the label for the sugar ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a signal
  2. current — of water
  3. current — electric
  4. current — happening now
  5. mine — belonging to me
  6. leaves — lets stay
  7. mine — an explosive
  8. mouse — for a computer
  9. tear — to rip
  10. leaves — of a tree
  11. face — to confront
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. mine — for digging
  14. cue — a hint
  15. content — videos and posts
  16. content — happy
  17. tear — from crying
  18. tear — from crying
  19. leaves — to go away
  20. face — part of the head
  21. cue — for pool
  22. face — to point toward
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. content — the amount

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