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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. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  2. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  3. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  4. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  5. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  6. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  7. Don't do anything ________________.
  8. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  9. The ________________ took off on time.
  10. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  11. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  12. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  13. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  14. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  15. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  16. He was locked up in a ________________.
  17. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  18. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  19. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  20. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  21. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  22. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  23. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  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. bore — gave birth
  2. cue — a signal
  3. cue — a hint
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. current — happening now
  6. plane — in geometry
  7. rash — hasty
  8. rash — a series
  9. plane — an aircraft
  10. plane — a tool
  11. rash — on the skin
  12. degree — temperature
  13. cell — in biology
  14. degree — from a university
  15. bore — to drill
  16. cell — in a prison
  17. cell — a phone
  18. cue — for pool
  19. current — electric
  20. degree — an amount
  21. perch — the fish
  22. bore — to tire
  23. perch — for a bird
  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