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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. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  2. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  3. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  4. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  5. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  6. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  7. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  8. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  9. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  10. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  11. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  12. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  13. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  14. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  15. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  16. That must've been a ________________.
  17. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  18. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  19. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  20. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  21. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  22. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  23. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  24. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — a stone
  2. rush — hurry
  3. track — a song
  4. cue — a signal
  5. rush — to hurry
  6. track — to keep track
  7. track — a path
  8. mouse — for a computer
  9. cue — for pool
  10. wind — moving air
  11. current — of water
  12. cue — a hint
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. wind — moving air
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. rush — a thrill
  17. wind — to turn a key
  18. current — electric
  19. rock — music
  20. rock — to move gently
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. patient — calm and waiting
  23. current — happening now
  24. patient — a sick person

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