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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. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  2. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  3. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  4. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  5. We're on a ________________ here.
  6. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  7. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  8. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  9. He is an ace ________________.
  10. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  11. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  12. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  13. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  14. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  15. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  16. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  17. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  18. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  19. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  20. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  21. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  22. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  23. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  24. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — to go away
  2. roll — a list
  3. mark — to pay attention
  4. current — electric
  5. roll — on a roll
  6. shower — to wash
  7. toast — bread
  8. shower — rain
  9. pitcher — in baseball
  10. cue — a signal
  11. mark — a trace
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. toast — the most admired
  15. toast — a drink to someone
  16. mark — a grade
  17. current — happening now
  18. leaves — lets stay
  19. cue — a hint
  20. roll — a cake
  21. cue — for pool
  22. current — of water
  23. leaves — of a tree
  24. shower — a meteor shower

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