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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 120 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. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  2. There's no middle ________________.
  3. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  4. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  5. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  6. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  7. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  8. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  9. My father caught me by the ________________.
  10. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  11. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  12. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  13. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  14. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  15. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  16. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  17. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  18. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  19. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  20. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  21. The King held a masked ________________.
  22. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  23. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  24. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — to lash out
  2. ground — a position
  3. current — electric
  4. hide — animal skin
  5. current — happening now
  6. capital — money
  7. lash — a whip stroke
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. fan — to cool the air
  11. ball — a round shape
  12. capital — a big letter
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. ball — a great time
  15. ground — the earth
  16. lash — an eyelash
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. current — of water
  19. capital — a city
  20. ground — crushed
  21. ball — a dance
  22. arm — a part of something
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. fan — a supporter

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