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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. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  2. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  3. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  4. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  5. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  6. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  7. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  8. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  9. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  10. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  11. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  12. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  13. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  14. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  15. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  16. He works in a ________________ mill.
  17. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  18. She's very handy with a ________________.
  19. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  20. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  21. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  22. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  23. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  24. I'll take my ________________ from you.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — an explosive
  2. cue — a signal
  3. mine — belonging to me
  4. current — electric
  5. current — happening now
  6. fall — to drop
  7. mine — for digging
  8. saw — past of 'see'
  9. cue — for pool
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. cap — a lid
  12. current — of water
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. fall — to drop
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. saw — the tool
  17. stick — to attach or keep to
  18. saw — the tool
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. fall — the season
  21. cap — of ice
  22. ruler — a monarch
  23. cap — a hat
  24. cue — a hint

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