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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 116 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: cue · object · wound · season · suit · current · cabinet · clip

  1. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  2. Did you ________________ the meat?
  3. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  4. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  5. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  6. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  7. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  8. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  9. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  10. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  11. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  12. What do you think of the new ________________?
  13. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  14. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  15. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  16. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  17. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  18. When will it ________________ you to start?
  19. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  20. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  21. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  22. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  23. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  24. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. current — happening now
  2. season — to add flavour
  3. wound — an injury
  4. cue — a signal
  5. suit — clothes
  6. wound — past of 'wind'
  7. season — of the year
  8. clip — a video
  9. cue — a hint
  10. season — in sport
  11. cue — for pool
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. object — a thing
  14. current — electric
  15. object — to protest
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. clip — for paper
  18. suit — to fit
  19. wound — an injury
  20. current — of water
  21. cabinet — a cupboard
  22. clip — to cut
  23. object — an aim
  24. suit — in cards

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