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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. That must've been a ________________.
  3. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  4. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  5. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  6. There's no middle ________________.
  7. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  8. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  9. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  10. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  11. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  12. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  13. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  14. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  15. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  16. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  17. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  18. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  19. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  20. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  21. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  22. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  23. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  24. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a hint
  2. rush — a thrill
  3. cue — a signal
  4. current — of water
  5. pound — a weight
  6. ground — a position
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. current — happening now
  9. squash — to crush
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. pound — to hit hard
  12. current — electric
  13. rush — hurry
  14. cue — for pool
  15. straw — to clutch at straws
  16. ground — the earth
  17. straw — a straw man
  18. squash — the vegetable
  19. hide — animal skin
  20. pound — for dogs
  21. rush — to hurry
  22. squash — the sport
  23. ground — crushed
  24. straw — dry grass

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