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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.

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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. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  2. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  3. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  4. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  5. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  6. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  7. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  8. What do you think of the new ________________?
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  11. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  12. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  13. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  14. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  15. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  16. The tickets are free of ________________.
  17. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  18. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  19. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  20. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  21. I can't ________________ this cold.
  22. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  23. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  24. He is an ace ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — to lash out
  2. stand — for spectators
  3. object — an aim
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. rest — what's left
  6. charge — electricity
  7. cabinet — a cupboard
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. rest — a break
  11. rest — what's left
  12. object — to protest
  13. current — happening now
  14. lash — a whip stroke
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. charge — a price
  17. object — a thing
  18. stand — on your feet
  19. current — of water
  20. charge — in control
  21. stand — to bear
  22. current — electric
  23. lash — an eyelash
  24. pitcher — in baseball

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