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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. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  2. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  3. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  4. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  5. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  6. Have you found your soul ________________?
  7. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  8. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  9. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  10. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  11. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  12. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  13. How do you ________________ your surname?
  14. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  15. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  16. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  17. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  18. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  19. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  20. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  21. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  22. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  23. There's no middle ________________.
  24. My father caught me by the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a hint
  2. ground — the earth
  3. current — happening now
  4. arm — a part of something
  5. leaves — to go away
  6. mate — a partner
  7. ground — crushed
  8. leaves — lets stay
  9. spell — a short time
  10. current — of water
  11. cue — a signal
  12. mate — a friend
  13. spell — letters
  14. shower — a meteor shower
  15. cue — for pool
  16. spell — magic
  17. shower — rain
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. current — electric
  20. leaves — of a tree
  21. shower — to wash
  22. mate — to breed
  23. ground — a position
  24. arm — part of the body

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