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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 120 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. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  3. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  4. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  5. David sat on the ________________.
  6. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  7. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  8. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  9. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  10. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  11. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  12. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  13. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  14. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  15. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  16. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  17. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  18. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  19. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  20. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  21. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  22. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  23. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  24. He was locked up in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. current — happening now
  2. cell — in biology
  3. swing — in golf
  4. mark — to pay attention
  5. swing — to play on
  6. cell — a phone
  7. mark — a grade
  8. cue — a hint
  9. swing — music
  10. spring — of water
  11. spring — a coil
  12. cue — for pool
  13. drill — a practice
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. current — electric
  16. drill — army training
  17. spring — the season
  18. drill — the tool
  19. hide — animal skin
  20. cue — a signal
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. current — of water
  23. mark — a trace
  24. cell — in a prison

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