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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 pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  2. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  3. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  4. I can't ________________ this cold.
  5. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  6. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  7. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  8. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  9. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  10. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  11. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  12. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  13. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  14. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  15. False peace will not ________________.
  16. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  17. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  18. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  19. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  20. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  21. That was a fun ________________.
  22. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  23. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  24. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. game — wild animals
  2. wind — to turn a key
  3. wind — moving air
  4. stand — to bear
  5. last — final
  6. kick — with a leg
  7. chair — to sit on
  8. current — electric
  9. current — happening now
  10. kick — in football
  11. stand — for spectators
  12. last — finally
  13. wind — moving air
  14. lash — an eyelash
  15. last — to go on
  16. game — a kind of play
  17. lash — to lash out
  18. stand — on your feet
  19. kick — a thrill
  20. current — of water
  21. game — a match
  22. lash — a whip stroke
  23. chair — a leader
  24. chair — a professorship

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