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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. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  2. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  3. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  4. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  5. That must've been a ________________.
  6. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  7. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  8. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  9. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  10. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  11. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  12. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  13. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  14. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  15. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  16. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  17. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  18. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  19. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  20. It's one o'clock ________________.
  21. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  22. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  23. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  24. Where did you ________________ them?

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

Answer key

  1. rush — to hurry
  2. cue — a signal
  3. mug — a face
  4. current — happening now
  5. rush — a thrill
  6. bat — the animal
  7. wake — before a funeral
  8. wake — to stop sleeping
  9. current — of water
  10. clip — a video
  11. cue — for pool
  12. current — electric
  13. rush — hurry
  14. clip — to cut
  15. clip — for paper
  16. wake — a trail
  17. mug — a cup
  18. bat — in an idiom
  19. bat — for baseball
  20. sharp — exactly
  21. cue — a hint
  22. sharp — clever
  23. sharp — with an edge
  24. mug — to rob

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