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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. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  2. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  3. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  4. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  5. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  6. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  7. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  8. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  9. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  10. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  11. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  12. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  13. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  14. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  15. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  16. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  17. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  18. That was a fun ________________.
  19. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  20. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  21. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  22. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  23. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  24. The old man leaned on his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a signal
  2. game — wild animals
  3. file — a tool
  4. lash — to lash out
  5. board — to get on
  6. file — a document
  7. game — a kind of play
  8. current — electric
  9. file — a line of people
  10. cue — a hint
  11. staff — employees
  12. current — happening now
  13. track — a path
  14. board — a flat piece
  15. track — a song
  16. staff — employees
  17. board — a committee
  18. game — a match
  19. cue — for pool
  20. track — to keep track
  21. current — of water
  22. lash — a whip stroke
  23. lash — an eyelash
  24. staff — a stick

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