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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. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  2. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  3. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  4. Where did you ________________ them?
  5. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  6. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  7. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  8. I can't ________________ this cold.
  9. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  10. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  11. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  12. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  13. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  14. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  15. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  16. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  17. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  18. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  19. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  20. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  21. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  22. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  23. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  24. He refilled his coffee ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. current — of water
  2. hand — part of the body
  3. cue — a signal
  4. mug — to rob
  5. face — part of the head
  6. mug — a face
  7. straw — a straw man
  8. stand — to bear
  9. stand — for spectators
  10. face — to point toward
  11. current — happening now
  12. cue — a hint
  13. hand — help
  14. straw — to clutch at straws
  15. straw — dry grass
  16. hand — in cards
  17. file — a line of people
  18. stand — on your feet
  19. file — a document
  20. cue — for pool
  21. face — to confront
  22. current — electric
  23. file — a tool
  24. mug — a cup

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