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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: current · racket · toast · bay · wind · snap · lean · cue

  1. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  2. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  3. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  4. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  5. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  6. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  7. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  8. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  9. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  10. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  11. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  12. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  13. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  14. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  15. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  16. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  17. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  18. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  19. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  20. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  21. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  22. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  23. My mare is ________________ in color.
  24. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. snap — to click
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. racket — a loud noise
  5. bay — to keep at bay
  6. toast — a drink to someone
  7. snap — to speak sharply
  8. lean — to bend
  9. wind — to turn a key
  10. current — happening now
  11. current — electric
  12. lean — thin
  13. snap — to snap out of it
  14. wind — moving air
  15. cue — a hint
  16. toast — bread
  17. cue — for pool
  18. lean — to rest against
  19. current — of water
  20. cue — a signal
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. toast — the most admired
  23. bay — a horse colour
  24. bay — a part of the sea

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