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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 was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  2. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  3. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  4. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  5. The tickets are free of ________________.
  6. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  7. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  8. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  9. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  10. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  11. The King held a masked ________________.
  12. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  13. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  14. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  15. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  16. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  17. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  18. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  19. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  20. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  21. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  22. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  23. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  24. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a great time
  2. current — of water
  3. race — humankind
  4. shower — a meteor shower
  5. charge — a price
  6. bore — gave birth
  7. charge — electricity
  8. bore — to drill
  9. ball — a round shape
  10. charge — in control
  11. ball — a dance
  12. bore — to tire
  13. current — electric
  14. shower — rain
  15. lash — a whip stroke
  16. wake — to stop sleeping
  17. lash — an eyelash
  18. race — the arms race
  19. wake — a trail
  20. shower — to wash
  21. current — happening now
  22. wake — before a funeral
  23. lash — to lash out
  24. race — a contest

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