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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. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  2. He is an ace ________________.
  3. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  4. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  5. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  6. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  7. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  8. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  9. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  10. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  11. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  12. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  13. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  14. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  15. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  16. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  17. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  18. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  19. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  20. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  21. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  22. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  23. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  24. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. pitcher — in baseball
  3. current — of water
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. stem — of a plant
  6. snap — to snap out of it
  7. snap — to click
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. mouse — for a computer
  11. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  12. snap — to speak sharply
  13. kid — to tease
  14. chair — to sit on
  15. stem — a stem cell
  16. ruler — a monarch
  17. chair — a professorship
  18. stem — to come from
  19. chair — a leader
  20. current — electric
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. current — happening now
  23. kid — child
  24. mouse — 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