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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. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  2. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  3. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  4. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  5. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  6. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  7. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  8. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  9. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  10. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  11. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  12. When will it ________________ you to start?
  13. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  14. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  15. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  16. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  17. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  18. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  19. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  20. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  21. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  22. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  23. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  24. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a hint
  2. suit — in cards
  3. band — a rubber band
  4. suit — clothes
  5. current — electric
  6. staff — employees
  7. current — happening now
  8. scale — in music
  9. lean — thin
  10. scale — for weighing
  11. staff — employees
  12. suit — to fit
  13. cue — a signal
  14. bear — the animal
  15. scale — size or range
  16. bear — to put up with
  17. staff — a stick
  18. current — of water
  19. lean — to rest against
  20. lean — to bend
  21. band — a music group
  22. band — a ring
  23. cue — for pool
  24. bear — the animal

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