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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. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  2. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  3. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  4. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  5. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  6. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  7. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  8. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  9. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  10. She's very handy with a ________________.
  11. He works in a ________________ mill.
  12. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  13. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  14. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  15. Where did you ________________ them?
  16. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  17. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  18. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  19. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  20. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  21. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  22. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  23. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  24. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. current — happening now
  2. current — electric
  3. current — of water
  4. cue — a hint
  5. jam — a tight spot
  6. wake — a trail
  7. stem — a stem cell
  8. jam — to spread on bread
  9. mug — a cup
  10. saw — the tool
  11. saw — the tool
  12. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  13. stem — to come from
  14. wake — before a funeral
  15. mug — to rob
  16. cue — for pool
  17. cue — a signal
  18. stem — of a plant
  19. kid — to tease
  20. wake — to stop sleeping
  21. kid — child
  22. mug — a face
  23. saw — past of 'see'
  24. jam — in traffic

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