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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. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  2. That must've been a ________________.
  3. Did you ________________ the button?
  4. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  5. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  6. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  7. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  8. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  9. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  10. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  11. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  12. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  13. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  14. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  15. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  16. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  17. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  18. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  19. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  20. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  21. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  22. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  23. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  24. The spa offers ________________ extensions.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — a whip stroke
  2. rush — a thrill
  3. press — to push
  4. chest — of your body
  5. wave — of the sea
  6. current — of water
  7. bass — low music
  8. chest — a box
  9. track — to keep track
  10. bass — the instrument
  11. track — a song
  12. wave — with your hand
  13. track — a path
  14. current — happening now
  15. rush — hurry
  16. wave — a sudden rise
  17. chest — of your body
  18. current — electric
  19. press — a publisher
  20. rush — to hurry
  21. press — newspapers
  22. lash — to lash out
  23. bass — the fish
  24. lash — an eyelash

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