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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 116 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 water is too ________________.
  2. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  3. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  4. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  5. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  6. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  7. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  8. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  9. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  10. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  11. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  12. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  13. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  14. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  15. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  16. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  17. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  18. Have you found your soul ________________?
  19. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  20. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  21. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  22. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  23. David sat on the ________________.
  24. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?

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

Answer key

  1. cold — not warm
  2. mate — to breed
  3. current — of water
  4. dip — a sauce
  5. swing — music
  6. dip — to dunk
  7. cue — for pool
  8. safe — a strongbox
  9. dip — to sink
  10. current — electric
  11. swing — in golf
  12. fan — to cool the air
  13. cue — a signal
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. cue — a hint
  16. cold — an illness
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. mate — a partner
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. current — happening now
  22. cold — the Cold War
  23. swing — to play on
  24. mate — a friend

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