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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. My father caught me by the ________________.
  2. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  3. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  4. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  5. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  6. I can't ________________ this cold.
  7. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  8. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  9. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  10. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  11. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  12. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  13. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  14. Did you ________________ the meat?
  15. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  16. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  17. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  18. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  19. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  20. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  21. The tickets are free of ________________.
  22. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  23. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  24. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. current — of water
  3. charge — in control
  4. leaves — to go away
  5. hand — part of the body
  6. stand — to bear
  7. cue — a signal
  8. cue — a hint
  9. current — electric
  10. charge — electricity
  11. leaves — of a tree
  12. stand — on your feet
  13. season — in sport
  14. season — to add flavour
  15. stand — for spectators
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. hand — in cards
  18. arm — a part of something
  19. hand — help
  20. season — of the year
  21. charge — a price
  22. leaves — lets stay
  23. current — happening now
  24. cue — for pool

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