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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 120 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 met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  2. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  3. The ________________ took off on time.
  4. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  5. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  6. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  7. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  8. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  9. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  10. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  11. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  12. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  13. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  14. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  15. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  16. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  17. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  18. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  19. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  20. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  21. The King held a masked ________________.
  22. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  23. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  24. She's sitting on a gold ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — belonging to me
  2. lean — thin
  3. plane — an aircraft
  4. mine — an explosive
  5. cue — a signal
  6. lean — to bend
  7. lean — to rest against
  8. cue — a hint
  9. ball — a great time
  10. current — happening now
  11. squash — to crush
  12. squash — the vegetable
  13. band — a music group
  14. current — electric
  15. plane — in geometry
  16. cue — for pool
  17. squash — the sport
  18. current — of water
  19. plane — a tool
  20. ball — a round shape
  21. ball — a dance
  22. band — a ring
  23. band — a rubber band
  24. mine — for digging

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