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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. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  2. Have you met the new head ________________?
  3. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  4. I'll be taking the ________________.
  5. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  6. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  7. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  8. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  9. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  10. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  11. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  12. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  13. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  14. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  15. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  16. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  17. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  18. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  19. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  20. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  21. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  22. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  23. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  24. My father caught me by the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. current — electric
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. tube — a container
  4. tube — the underground
  5. wound — past of 'wind'
  6. chair — to sit on
  7. tube — in a tire
  8. coach — pulled by horses
  9. chair — a professorship
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. chair — a leader
  12. arm — a part of something
  13. rock — to move gently
  14. current — happening now
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. wound — an injury
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. mouse — for a computer
  20. rock — music
  21. current — of water
  22. rock — a stone
  23. wound — an injury
  24. arm — part of the body

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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