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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. Have you met the new head ________________?
  2. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  3. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  4. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  5. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  6. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  7. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  8. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  9. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  10. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  11. That must've been a ________________.
  12. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  13. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  14. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  15. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  16. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  17. That was a fun ________________.
  18. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  19. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  20. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  21. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  22. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  23. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  24. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. rush — to hurry
  3. fall — to drop
  4. current — happening now
  5. fall — the season
  6. cue — for pool
  7. current — electric
  8. rock — a stone
  9. cue — a signal
  10. rush — hurry
  11. rush — a thrill
  12. rock — to move gently
  13. game — a kind of play
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. object — an aim
  16. cue — a hint
  17. game — a match
  18. coach — pulled by horses
  19. current — of water
  20. game — wild animals
  21. object — to protest
  22. fall — to drop
  23. rock — music
  24. object — a thing

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