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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. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  2. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  3. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  4. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  5. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  6. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  7. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  8. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  9. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  10. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  11. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  12. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  13. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  14. He is an ace ________________.
  15. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  16. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  17. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  18. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — a whip stroke
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. current — of water
  4. current — electric
  5. lash — to lash out
  6. root — of a word
  7. lash — an eyelash
  8. wave — of the sea
  9. bear — the animal
  10. root — the cause
  11. bear — the animal
  12. wave — a sudden rise
  13. bear — to put up with
  14. pitcher — in baseball
  15. wave — with your hand
  16. current — happening now
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. root — of a plant

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