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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. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  2. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  3. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  4. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  5. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  6. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  7. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  8. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  9. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  10. That was a fun ________________.
  11. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  12. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  13. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  14. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  15. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  16. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  17. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  18. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  19. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  20. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  21. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  22. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  23. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  24. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. present — a gift
  2. snap — to speak sharply
  3. present — there
  4. cue — a hint
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. snap — to snap out of it
  7. fan — to cool the air
  8. staff — a stick
  9. current — happening now
  10. game — a match
  11. wave — a sudden rise
  12. game — a kind of play
  13. current — electric
  14. staff — employees
  15. cue — a signal
  16. current — of water
  17. present — the time now
  18. wave — of the sea
  19. game — wild animals
  20. snap — to click
  21. wave — with your hand
  22. cue — for pool
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. staff — employees

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