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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. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  2. The ________________ went through the wall.
  3. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  4. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  5. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  6. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  7. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  8. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  9. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  10. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  11. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  12. When will it ________________ you to start?
  13. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  14. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  15. Did you ________________ the meat?
  16. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  17. He was locked up in a ________________.
  18. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  19. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  20. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  21. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  22. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  23. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  24. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — in cards
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. nail — on a finger
  4. dip — a sauce
  5. dip — to sink
  6. dip — to dunk
  7. season — of the year
  8. cue — a hint
  9. bat — in an idiom
  10. bat — for baseball
  11. cell — a phone
  12. suit — to fit
  13. cue — for pool
  14. current — of water
  15. season — to add flavour
  16. cue — a signal
  17. cell — in a prison
  18. cell — in biology
  19. current — electric
  20. current — happening now
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. bat — the animal
  23. season — in sport
  24. suit — clothes

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