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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.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

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

  1. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  2. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  3. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  4. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  5. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  6. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  7. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  8. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  9. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  10. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  11. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  12. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  13. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  14. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  15. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  16. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  17. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  18. The spa offers ________________ extensions.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. current — happening now
  3. current — electric
  4. scale — for weighing
  5. current — of water
  6. file — a tool
  7. rock — a stone
  8. scale — in music
  9. prune — the fruit
  10. rock — music
  11. scale — size or range
  12. prune — to trim
  13. lash — a whip stroke
  14. file — a line of people
  15. file — a document
  16. rock — to move gently
  17. lash — to lash out
  18. lash — an eyelash

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