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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. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  2. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  3. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  4. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  5. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  6. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  7. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  8. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  9. That must've been a ________________.
  10. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  11. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  12. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  13. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  14. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  15. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  16. She's very handy with a ________________.
  17. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  18. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  19. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  20. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  21. He works in a ________________ mill.
  22. When was this ________________ built?
  23. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  24. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. current — of water
  2. rock — music
  3. cue — a hint
  4. clip — a video
  5. clip — for paper
  6. temple — side of the head
  7. scale — in music
  8. saw — past of 'see'
  9. rush — a thrill
  10. rock — a stone
  11. scale — for weighing
  12. rock — to move gently
  13. current — electric
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. rush — to hurry
  16. saw — the tool
  17. cue — for pool
  18. cue — a signal
  19. rush — hurry
  20. clip — to cut
  21. saw — the tool
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. current — happening now
  24. scale — size or range

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