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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. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  2. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  3. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  4. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  5. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  6. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  7. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  8. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  9. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  10. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  11. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  12. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  13. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  14. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  15. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  16. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  17. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  18. When will it ________________ you to start?
  19. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  20. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  21. When are we going to ________________?
  22. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  23. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  24. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — clothes
  2. snap — to click
  3. cue — for pool
  4. dip — a sauce
  5. current — happening now
  6. dip — to sink
  7. mine — an explosive
  8. land — ground
  9. cue — a hint
  10. row — a line
  11. suit — in cards
  12. cue — a signal
  13. mine — for digging
  14. snap — to snap out of it
  15. row — to paddle
  16. land — a country
  17. row — a quarrel
  18. suit — to fit
  19. snap — to speak sharply
  20. current — of water
  21. land — to come down
  22. current — electric
  23. dip — to dunk
  24. mine — belonging to me

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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