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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. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  2. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  3. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  4. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  5. The tickets are free of ________________.
  6. False peace will not ________________.
  7. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  8. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  9. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  10. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  11. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  12. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  13. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  14. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  15. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  16. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  17. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  18. The water is too ________________.
  19. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  20. We're on a ________________ here.
  21. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  22. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  23. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  24. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a list
  2. current — happening now
  3. last — finally
  4. current — of water
  5. charge — a price
  6. last — to go on
  7. lash — an eyelash
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. cold — an illness
  10. lash — a whip stroke
  11. roll — a cake
  12. capital — a city
  13. capital — money
  14. cold — the Cold War
  15. charge — electricity
  16. current — electric
  17. lash — to lash out
  18. cold — not warm
  19. hide — animal skin
  20. roll — on a roll
  21. last — final
  22. charge — in control
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. capital — a big letter

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