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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. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  3. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  4. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  5. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  6. Have you found your soul ________________?
  7. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  8. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  9. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  10. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  11. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  12. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  13. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  14. That was a fun ________________.
  15. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  16. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  17. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  18. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  19. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  20. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  21. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  22. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  23. The ball is in your ________________.
  24. This looks like a gunshot ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a signal
  2. current — electric
  3. mate — to breed
  4. mate — a friend
  5. lash — an eyelash
  6. mate — a partner
  7. current — of water
  8. lash — a whip stroke
  9. wound — past of 'wind'
  10. lash — to lash out
  11. game — a kind of play
  12. wound — an injury
  13. game — wild animals
  14. game — a match
  15. cue — a hint
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. cue — for pool
  19. court — of a king
  20. current — happening now
  21. ruler — a monarch
  22. court — of law
  23. court — for sport
  24. wound — an injury

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