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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. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  2. You don't need to ________________ round.
  3. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  4. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  5. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  6. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  7. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  8. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  9. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  10. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  11. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  12. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  13. What do you think of the new ________________?
  14. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  15. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  16. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  17. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  18. We're almost out of ________________.
  19. The King held a masked ________________.
  20. There's no middle ________________.
  21. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  22. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  23. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  24. The spa offers ________________ extensions.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — a break
  2. pop — to visit
  3. ball — a great time
  4. ground — the earth
  5. current — of water
  6. ground — crushed
  7. ball — a round shape
  8. lash — to lash out
  9. chair — to sit on
  10. cabinet — a cupboard
  11. current — electric
  12. pop — music
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. lash — a whip stroke
  15. chair — a professorship
  16. rest — what's left
  17. chair — a leader
  18. pop — soda
  19. ball — a dance
  20. ground — a position
  21. current — happening now
  22. rest — what's left
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. lash — an eyelash

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