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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 spa offers ________________ extensions.
  2. When will it ________________ you to start?
  3. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  4. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  5. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  6. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  7. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  8. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  9. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  10. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  11. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  12. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  13. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  14. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  15. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  16. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  17. There's no middle ________________.
  18. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  19. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  20. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  21. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  22. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  23. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  24. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — an eyelash
  2. suit — to fit
  3. snap — to speak sharply
  4. club — for golf
  5. shower — rain
  6. suit — in cards
  7. current — of water
  8. club — a group
  9. ground — the earth
  10. suit — clothes
  11. lash — to lash out
  12. club — for dancing
  13. lash — a whip stroke
  14. scale — in music
  15. current — happening now
  16. current — electric
  17. ground — a position
  18. scale — for weighing
  19. snap — to snap out of it
  20. snap — to click
  21. ground — crushed
  22. shower — to wash
  23. scale — size or range
  24. shower — a meteor shower

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