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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. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  2. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  3. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  4. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  5. That was a fun ________________.
  6. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  7. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  8. The King held a masked ________________.
  9. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  10. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  11. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  12. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  13. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  14. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  15. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  16. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  17. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  18. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  19. That must've been a ________________.
  20. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  21. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  22. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  23. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  24. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to bend
  2. current — happening now
  3. chest — a box
  4. chest — of your body
  5. game — a match
  6. cue — a hint
  7. rush — to hurry
  8. ball — a dance
  9. deal — an agreement
  10. current — electric
  11. chest — of your body
  12. game — wild animals
  13. cue — for pool
  14. deal — a big deal
  15. ball — a great time
  16. lean — to rest against
  17. rush — hurry
  18. current — of water
  19. rush — a thrill
  20. lean — thin
  21. game — a kind of play
  22. ball — a round shape
  23. deal — to handle
  24. cue — a signal

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