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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. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  2. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  3. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  4. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  5. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  6. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  7. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  8. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  9. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  10. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  11. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  12. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  13. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  14. Have you found your soul ________________?
  15. Did you ________________ the meat?
  16. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  17. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  18. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  19. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  20. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  21. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  22. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  23. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  24. Let us try to swim against the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. current — happening now
  3. current — electric
  4. file — a tool
  5. wind — to turn a key
  6. bowl — a dish
  7. file — a document
  8. mate — a friend
  9. season — of the year
  10. bowl — a football final
  11. mouse — for a computer
  12. cue — a hint
  13. cue — a signal
  14. mate — a partner
  15. season — to add flavour
  16. wind — moving air
  17. season — in sport
  18. bowl — to roll
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. cue — for pool
  22. file — a line of people
  23. mate — to breed
  24. current — of water

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