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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.

Words on the sheet
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Word bank
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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: cue · mouse · clip · fall · present · staff · fork · current

  1. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  2. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  3. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  4. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  5. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  6. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  7. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  8. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  9. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  10. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  11. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  12. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  13. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  14. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  15. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  16. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  17. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  18. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  19. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  20. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  21. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  22. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  23. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  24. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. present — the time now
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. fall — to drop
  5. current — of water
  6. cue — a hint
  7. present — there
  8. fall — the season
  9. clip — to cut
  10. cue — for pool
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. clip — a video
  13. cue — a signal
  14. staff — employees
  15. mouse — for a computer
  16. staff — a stick
  17. fork — to eat with
  18. fork — in a road
  19. current — happening now
  20. present — a gift
  21. fall — to drop
  22. current — electric
  23. clip — for paper
  24. fork — a garden tool

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