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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. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  2. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  3. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  4. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  5. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  6. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  7. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  8. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  9. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  10. Where did you ________________ them?
  11. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  12. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  13. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  14. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  15. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  16. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  17. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  18. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  19. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  20. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  21. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  22. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  23. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  24. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.

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

Answer key

  1. current — happening now
  2. leaves — of a tree
  3. wake — a trail
  4. track — to keep track
  5. chair — a professorship
  6. track — a song
  7. leaves — lets stay
  8. mug — a face
  9. leaves — to go away
  10. mug — to rob
  11. chair — to sit on
  12. current — of water
  13. cue — a signal
  14. mug — a cup
  15. current — electric
  16. straw — dry grass
  17. chair — a leader
  18. track — a path
  19. straw — to clutch at straws
  20. wake — to stop sleeping
  21. straw — a straw man
  22. cue — a hint
  23. wake — before a funeral
  24. cue — for pool

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