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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. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  2. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  3. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  4. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  5. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  6. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  7. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  8. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  9. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  10. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  11. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  12. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  13. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  14. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  15. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  16. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  17. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  18. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  19. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  20. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  21. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  22. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  23. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  24. Can you turn the ________________ on?

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

Answer key

  1. current — of water
  2. lash — an eyelash
  3. wound — an injury
  4. current — electric
  5. field — farmland
  6. deal — an agreement
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. wound — an injury
  9. field — for sport
  10. current — happening now
  11. face — part of the head
  12. wave — of the sea
  13. deal — to handle
  14. lash — to lash out
  15. wound — past of 'wind'
  16. deal — a big deal
  17. face — to confront
  18. lash — a whip stroke
  19. field — a subject
  20. face — to point toward
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. wave — a sudden rise
  23. wave — with your hand
  24. fan — to cool the air

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