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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. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  2. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  3. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  4. Have you found your soul ________________?
  5. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  6. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  7. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  8. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  9. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  10. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  11. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  12. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  13. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  14. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  15. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  16. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  17. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  18. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  19. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  20. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  21. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  22. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  23. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  24. Have you met the new head ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. current — of water
  2. mate — a friend
  3. cap — a lid
  4. mate — a partner
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. row — a quarrel
  7. row — a line
  8. cue — a hint
  9. stick — to attach or keep to
  10. current — electric
  11. coach — pulled by horses
  12. cap — a hat
  13. cap — of ice
  14. cue — for pool
  15. row — to paddle
  16. mate — to breed
  17. current — happening now
  18. cue — a signal
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. mouse — for a computer
  24. coach — a trainer

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