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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 120 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. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  2. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  3. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  4. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  5. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  6. The ________________ took off on time.
  7. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  8. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  9. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  10. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  11. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  12. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  13. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  14. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  15. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  16. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  17. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  18. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  19. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  20. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  21. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  22. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  23. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  24. It's one o'clock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — music
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. current — happening now
  4. mouse — for a computer
  5. cue — a signal
  6. plane — an aircraft
  7. mine — an explosive
  8. current — electric
  9. plane — in geometry
  10. mine — belonging to me
  11. mine — for digging
  12. snap — to click
  13. sharp — clever
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. cue — for pool
  16. plane — a tool
  17. rock — a stone
  18. snap — to snap out of it
  19. rock — to move gently
  20. current — of water
  21. sharp — with an edge
  22. cue — a hint
  23. snap — to speak sharply
  24. sharp — exactly

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