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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. It's one o'clock ________________.
  2. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  3. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  4. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  5. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  6. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  7. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  8. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  9. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  10. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  11. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  12. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  13. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  14. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  15. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  16. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  17. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  18. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  19. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  20. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  21. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  22. False peace will not ________________.
  23. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  24. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — exactly
  2. rest — a break
  3. snap — to speak sharply
  4. rest — what's left
  5. current — electric
  6. current — of water
  7. current — happening now
  8. last — finally
  9. cue — for pool
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. sharp — clever
  12. last — final
  13. file — a document
  14. snap — to click
  15. cue — a signal
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. file — a line of people
  18. rest — what's left
  19. sharp — with an edge
  20. file — a tool
  21. cue — a hint
  22. last — to go on
  23. snap — to snap out of it
  24. racket — a loud noise

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