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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. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  3. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  4. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  5. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  6. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  7. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  8. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  9. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  10. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  11. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  12. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  13. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  14. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  15. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  16. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  17. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  18. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  19. It's one o'clock ________________.
  20. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  21. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  22. Have you settled on a ________________?
  23. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  24. When will it ________________ you to start?

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

Answer key

  1. lash — a whip stroke
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. wind — moving air
  4. wind — moving air
  5. foot — part of the body
  6. wind — to turn a key
  7. lash — an eyelash
  8. sharp — with an edge
  9. suit — in cards
  10. foot — a measure
  11. lash — to lash out
  12. race — a contest
  13. date — the fruit
  14. sharp — clever
  15. race — humankind
  16. current — happening now
  17. foot — the bottom
  18. current — of water
  19. sharp — exactly
  20. current — electric
  21. race — the arms race
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. suit — clothes
  24. suit — to fit

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