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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. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  2. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  3. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  4. He works in a ________________ mill.
  5. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  6. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  7. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  8. She's very handy with a ________________.
  9. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  10. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  11. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  12. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  13. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  14. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  15. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  16. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  17. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  18. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  19. The King held a masked ________________.
  20. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  21. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  22. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  23. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  24. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — help
  2. ball — a round shape
  3. ball — a great time
  4. saw — the tool
  5. current — happening now
  6. cue — for pool
  7. hand — part of the body
  8. saw — the tool
  9. mark — to pay attention
  10. current — electric
  11. tear — from crying
  12. tear — from crying
  13. current — of water
  14. mark — a grade
  15. hand — in cards
  16. mouse — for a computer
  17. cue — a signal
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. ball — a dance
  20. mark — a trace
  21. tear — to rip
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. cue — a hint
  24. saw — past of 'see'

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