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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 116 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.

Make a worksheet

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. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  2. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  3. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  4. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  5. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  6. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  7. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  8. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  9. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  10. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  11. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  12. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  13. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  14. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  15. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  16. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  17. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  18. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  19. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  20. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  21. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  22. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  23. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  24. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. current — electric
  3. scale — size or range
  4. scale — for weighing
  5. current — happening now
  6. squash — to crush
  7. current — of water
  8. snap — to speak sharply
  9. wound — an injury
  10. fan — to cool the air
  11. squash — the vegetable
  12. wound — past of 'wind'
  13. squash — the sport
  14. lash — a whip stroke
  15. lash — an eyelash
  16. lash — to lash out
  17. object — a thing
  18. snap — to snap out of it
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. snap — to click
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. object — to protest
  23. object — an aim
  24. scale — in music

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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