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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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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: current · mug · clip · fall · bass · cue · suit · drill

  1. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  2. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  3. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  4. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  5. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  6. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  7. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  8. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  9. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  10. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  11. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  12. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  13. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  14. When will it ________________ you to start?
  15. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  16. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  17. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  18. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  19. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  20. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  21. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  22. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  23. Where did you ________________ them?
  24. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a hint
  2. bass — the fish
  3. drill — the tool
  4. clip — a video
  5. fall — the season
  6. clip — to cut
  7. current — of water
  8. drill — a practice
  9. mug — a cup
  10. cue — for pool
  11. current — happening now
  12. current — electric
  13. cue — a signal
  14. suit — to fit
  15. drill — army training
  16. fall — to drop
  17. suit — in cards
  18. fall — to drop
  19. bass — low music
  20. clip — for paper
  21. bass — the instrument
  22. suit — clothes
  23. mug — to rob
  24. mug — a face

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