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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. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  2. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  3. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  4. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  5. Have you settled on a ________________?
  6. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  7. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  8. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  9. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  10. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  11. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  12. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  13. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  14. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  15. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  16. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  17. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  18. When will it ________________ you to start?
  19. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  20. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  21. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  22. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  23. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  24. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. current — of water
  2. kid — to tease
  3. wound — an injury
  4. cue — a signal
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. squash — to crush
  7. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  8. wound — an injury
  9. current — electric
  10. squash — the vegetable
  11. date — the fruit
  12. face — part of the head
  13. current — happening now
  14. cue — for pool
  15. suit — clothes
  16. wound — past of 'wind'
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. suit — to fit
  19. suit — in cards
  20. squash — the sport
  21. face — to point toward
  22. cue — a hint
  23. face — to confront
  24. kid — child

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