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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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: fine · arm · wound · last · current · cue · mouse · nail

  1. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  2. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  3. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  4. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  5. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  6. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  7. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  8. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  9. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  10. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  11. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  12. The ________________ went through the wall.
  13. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  14. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  15. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  16. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  17. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  18. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  19. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  20. My father caught me by the ________________.
  21. False peace will not ________________.
  22. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  23. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  24. We ________________ up on opposing sides.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — high quality
  2. last — finally
  3. cue — a signal
  4. current — electric
  5. cue — for pool
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. wound — an injury
  8. current — happening now
  9. mouse — for a computer
  10. nail — on a finger
  11. last — final
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. fine — all right
  14. current — of water
  15. wound — an injury
  16. fine — a penalty
  17. arm — a part of something
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. last — to go on
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. cue — a hint
  24. wound — past of 'wind'

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