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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. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  2. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  3. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  4. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  5. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  6. Have you found your soul ________________?
  7. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  8. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  9. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  10. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  11. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  12. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  13. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  14. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  15. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  16. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  17. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  18. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  19. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  20. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  21. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  22. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  23. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  24. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a hint
  2. firm — decided
  3. wind — moving air
  4. straw — a straw man
  5. track — a song
  6. mate — a partner
  7. current — happening now
  8. track — a path
  9. fork — to eat with
  10. firm — steady
  11. mate — a friend
  12. cue — a signal
  13. straw — dry grass
  14. current — electric
  15. mate — to breed
  16. straw — to clutch at straws
  17. cue — for pool
  18. current — of water
  19. firm — a company
  20. fork — in a road
  21. wind — to turn a key
  22. wind — moving air
  23. track — to keep track
  24. fork — a garden tool

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