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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. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  2. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  3. David sat on the ________________.
  4. How do you ________________ your surname?
  5. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  6. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  7. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  8. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  9. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  10. Don't do anything ________________.
  11. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  12. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  13. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  14. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  15. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  16. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  17. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  18. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  19. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  20. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  21. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  22. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  23. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  24. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.

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

Answer key

  1. content — videos and posts
  2. current — electric
  3. swing — to play on
  4. spell — letters
  5. content — happy
  6. safe — a strongbox
  7. cue — a hint
  8. current — of water
  9. current — happening now
  10. rash — hasty
  11. spell — magic
  12. kick — with a leg
  13. rash — on the skin
  14. rash — a series
  15. swing — music
  16. kick — a thrill
  17. cue — for pool
  18. swing — in golf
  19. spell — a short time
  20. content — the amount
  21. cue — a signal
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. kick — in football

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