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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. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  2. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  3. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  4. False peace will not ________________.
  5. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  6. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  7. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  8. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  9. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  10. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  11. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  12. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  13. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  14. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  15. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  16. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  17. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  18. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  19. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  20. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  21. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  22. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  23. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  24. I play ________________ in a jazz band.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — to rule out
  2. stick — to attach or keep to
  3. lash — a whip stroke
  4. last — to go on
  5. current — electric
  6. degree — an amount
  7. present — the time now
  8. rule — government
  9. lash — an eyelash
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. current — happening now
  12. bass — low music
  13. lash — to lash out
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. degree — from a university
  16. present — there
  17. bass — the fish
  18. degree — temperature
  19. present — a gift
  20. rule — a law
  21. last — final
  22. current — of water
  23. last — finally
  24. bass — the instrument

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