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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. The ________________ went through the wall.
  2. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  3. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  4. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  5. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  6. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  7. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  8. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  9. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  10. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  11. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  12. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  13. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  14. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  15. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  16. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  17. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  18. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  19. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  20. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  21. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  22. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  23. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  24. Let us try to swim against the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. content — videos and posts
  3. rule — a law
  4. lash — a whip stroke
  5. rule — government
  6. can — a tin
  7. can — to be able to
  8. pound — a weight
  9. pound — to hit hard
  10. pound — for dogs
  11. lash — to lash out
  12. track — a song
  13. current — electric
  14. rule — to rule out
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. track — a path
  17. current — happening now
  18. lash — an eyelash
  19. nail — on a finger
  20. track — to keep track
  21. content — happy
  22. content — the amount
  23. can — a tin
  24. current — of water

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