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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 met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  2. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  3. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  4. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  5. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  6. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  7. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  8. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  9. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  10. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  11. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  12. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  13. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  14. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  15. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  16. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  17. Have you met the new head ________________?
  18. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  19. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  20. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  21. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  22. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  23. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  24. He was blown up by a land ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — belonging to me
  2. current — electric
  3. rest — what's left
  4. lash — an eyelash
  5. current — happening now
  6. rock — music
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. fall — to drop
  9. lash — a whip stroke
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. current — of water
  12. fall — the season
  13. coach — pulled by horses
  14. rock — a stone
  15. fall — to drop
  16. rest — a break
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. stick — to attach or keep to
  20. lash — to lash out
  21. mine — for digging
  22. rest — what's left
  23. rock — to move gently
  24. mine — an explosive

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