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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. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  2. Have you found your soul ________________?
  3. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  4. When was this ________________ built?
  5. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  6. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  7. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  8. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  9. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  10. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  11. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  12. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  13. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  14. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  15. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  16. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  17. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  18. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — to lash out
  2. mate — a partner
  3. net — after costs
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. mate — a friend
  6. current — of water
  7. lash — a whip stroke
  8. lash — an eyelash
  9. current — happening now
  10. current — electric
  11. mate — to breed
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. racket — a loud noise
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. net — in sport
  16. temple — side of the head
  17. net — for catching
  18. temple — a place of worship

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