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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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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. He works in a ________________ mill.
  3. She's very handy with a ________________.
  4. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  5. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  6. I can't ________________ this cold.
  7. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  8. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  9. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  10. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  11. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  12. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  13. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  14. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  15. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  16. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  17. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  18. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — to lash out
  2. saw — the tool
  3. saw — the tool
  4. wake — before a funeral
  5. lash — a whip stroke
  6. stand — to bear
  7. lash — an eyelash
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. stand — on your feet
  10. stand — for spectators
  11. current — of water
  12. mouse — for a computer
  13. wake — to stop sleeping
  14. current — electric
  15. wake — a trail
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. current — happening now
  18. saw — past of 'see'

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