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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. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  2. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  3. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  4. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  5. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  6. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  7. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  8. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  9. What do you think of the new ________________?
  10. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  11. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  12. That was a fun ________________.
  13. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  14. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  15. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  16. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  17. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  18. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  19. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  20. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  21. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  22. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  23. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  24. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.

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

Answer key

  1. current — of water
  2. current — electric
  3. capital — a big letter
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. capital — money
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. game — a kind of play
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. lash — a whip stroke
  11. safe — a strongbox
  12. game — a match
  13. trunk — of an elephant
  14. pound — a weight
  15. lash — to lash out
  16. capital — a city
  17. pound — for dogs
  18. trunk — of a car
  19. game — wild animals
  20. trunk — of a tree
  21. current — happening now
  22. cabinet — a cupboard
  23. lash — an eyelash
  24. pound — to hit hard

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