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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.

Make a worksheet

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. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  2. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  3. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  4. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  5. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  6. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  7. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  8. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  9. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  10. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  11. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  12. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  13. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  14. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  15. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  16. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  17. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  18. My mare is ________________ in color.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — to lash out
  2. lash — an eyelash
  3. current — electric
  4. net — in sport
  5. chip — in a computer
  6. chip — for betting
  7. bay — to keep at bay
  8. kick — with a leg
  9. net — for catching
  10. current — of water
  11. lash — a whip stroke
  12. current — happening now
  13. kick — in football
  14. net — after costs
  15. kick — a thrill
  16. chip — to eat
  17. bay — a part of the sea
  18. bay — a horse colour

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