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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 120 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. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  3. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  4. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  5. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  6. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  7. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  8. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  9. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  10. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  11. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  12. The tickets are free of ________________.
  13. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  14. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  15. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  16. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  17. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  18. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  19. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  20. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  21. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  22. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  23. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  24. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — a whip stroke
  2. row — a line
  3. current — happening now
  4. fork — a garden tool
  5. racket — a loud noise
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. lash — an eyelash
  8. row — a quarrel
  9. content — the amount
  10. stick — to attach or keep to
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. charge — a price
  13. current — electric
  14. content — happy
  15. charge — electricity
  16. content — videos and posts
  17. fork — in a road
  18. row — to paddle
  19. charge — in control
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. fork — to eat with
  22. current — of water
  23. lash — to lash out
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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