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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. I'll be taking the ________________.
  2. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  3. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  4. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  5. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  6. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  7. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  8. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  9. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  10. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  11. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  12. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  13. It's one o'clock ________________.
  14. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  15. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  16. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  17. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  18. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  19. The ________________ went through the wall.
  20. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  21. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  22. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  23. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  24. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — the underground
  2. cue — a hint
  3. tube — a container
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. current — electric
  6. current — of water
  7. can — a tin
  8. sharp — with an edge
  9. nail — on a finger
  10. chest — of your body
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. cue — for pool
  13. sharp — exactly
  14. current — happening now
  15. mouse — for a computer
  16. sharp — clever
  17. can — to be able to
  18. can — a tin
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. tube — in a tire
  22. cue — a signal
  23. chest — of your body
  24. chest — a box

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