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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. I can't ________________ this cold.
  2. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  3. When will it ________________ you to start?
  4. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  5. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  6. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  7. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  8. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  9. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  10. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  11. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  12. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  13. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  14. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  15. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  16. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  17. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  18. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  19. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  20. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  21. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  22. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  23. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  24. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — to bear
  2. lash — an eyelash
  3. suit — to fit
  4. march — the month
  5. current — happening now
  6. lash — a whip stroke
  7. kick — in football
  8. kick — with a leg
  9. suit — in cards
  10. stand — on your feet
  11. current — of water
  12. fall — to drop
  13. fall — the season
  14. current — electric
  15. march — music
  16. suit — clothes
  17. stand — for spectators
  18. net — after costs
  19. fall — to drop
  20. net — in sport
  21. march — the month
  22. net — for catching
  23. kick — a thrill
  24. lash — to lash out

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