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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. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  2. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  3. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  4. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  5. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  6. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  7. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  8. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  9. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  10. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  11. It's one o'clock ________________.
  12. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  13. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  14. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  15. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  16. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  17. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  18. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  19. That was a fun ________________.
  20. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  21. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  22. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  23. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  24. A black ________________ roamed the forest.

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

Answer key

  1. current — electric
  2. bear — the animal
  3. lash — to lash out
  4. game — a kind of play
  5. bear — to put up with
  6. sharp — clever
  7. rule — government
  8. rule — to rule out
  9. sharp — with an edge
  10. game — wild animals
  11. sharp — exactly
  12. dip — a sauce
  13. current — happening now
  14. dip — to sink
  15. dip — to dunk
  16. deal — to handle
  17. deal — a big deal
  18. current — of water
  19. game — a match
  20. rule — a law
  21. lash — a whip stroke
  22. deal — an agreement
  23. lash — an eyelash
  24. bear — the animal

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