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

  1. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  2. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  3. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  4. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  5. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  6. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  7. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  8. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  9. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  10. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  11. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  12. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  13. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  14. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  15. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  16. I can't ________________ this cold.
  17. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  18. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. current — happening now
  2. lash — an eyelash
  3. rock — to move gently
  4. hand — part of the body
  5. hand — help
  6. lash — to lash out
  7. lash — a whip stroke
  8. rock — a stone
  9. current — electric
  10. current — of water
  11. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  12. stand — on your feet
  13. rock — music
  14. kid — to tease
  15. hand — in cards
  16. stand — to bear
  17. stand — for spectators
  18. kid — child

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