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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. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  2. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  3. The tickets are free of ________________.
  4. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  5. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  6. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  7. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  8. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  9. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  10. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  11. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  12. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  13. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  14. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  15. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  16. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  17. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  18. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  19. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  20. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  21. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  22. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  23. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  24. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. cue — a signal
  3. charge — a price
  4. mouse — for a computer
  5. charge — in control
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. mine — for digging
  8. mark — to pay attention
  9. cue — a hint
  10. wound — an injury
  11. mark — a grade
  12. mark — a trace
  13. lash — to lash out
  14. cue — for pool
  15. current — of water
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. charge — electricity
  18. mine — an explosive
  19. lash — a whip stroke
  20. current — happening now
  21. mine — belonging to me
  22. wound — past of 'wind'
  23. lash — an eyelash
  24. current — electric

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