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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. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  2. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  3. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  4. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  5. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  6. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  7. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  8. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  9. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  10. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  11. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  12. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  13. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  14. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  15. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  16. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  17. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  18. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  19. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  20. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  21. What do you think of the new ________________?
  22. The ________________ took off on time.
  23. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  24. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — a cupboard
  2. current — electric
  3. rest — what's left
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. kid — child
  6. rest — what's left
  7. wake — before a funeral
  8. kid — to tease
  9. track — to keep track
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. plane — a tool
  12. track — a song
  13. wake — to stop sleeping
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. rest — a break
  16. plane — in geometry
  17. wake — a trail
  18. track — a path
  19. current — of water
  20. mouse — for a computer
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. plane — an aircraft
  23. current — happening now
  24. kid — young goat (kid gloves)

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