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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 116 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. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  2. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  3. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  4. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  5. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  6. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  7. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  8. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  9. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  10. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  11. I'll be taking the ________________.
  12. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  13. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  14. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  15. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  16. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  17. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  18. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  19. False peace will not ________________.
  20. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  21. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  22. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  23. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  24. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a signal
  2. tube — a container
  3. last — final
  4. cue — for pool
  5. present — the time now
  6. lean — thin
  7. current — electric
  8. last — finally
  9. lean — to rest against
  10. cap — of ice
  11. tube — the underground
  12. tube — in a tire
  13. cap — a lid
  14. present — there
  15. tear — from crying
  16. present — a gift
  17. tear — to rip
  18. current — happening now
  19. last — to go on
  20. cue — a hint
  21. lean — to bend
  22. cap — a hat
  23. current — of water
  24. tear — from crying

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