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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. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  2. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  3. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  4. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  5. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  6. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  7. The King held a masked ________________.
  8. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  9. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  10. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  11. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  12. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  13. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  14. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  15. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  16. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  17. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  18. That must've been a ________________.
  19. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  20. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  21. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  22. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  23. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  24. When are we going to ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a round shape
  2. cap — of ice
  3. straw — a straw man
  4. row — to paddle
  5. current — of water
  6. lash — an eyelash
  7. ball — a dance
  8. lash — a whip stroke
  9. rush — hurry
  10. cap — a lid
  11. straw — dry grass
  12. row — a line
  13. current — electric
  14. lash — to lash out
  15. current — happening now
  16. ball — a great time
  17. cap — a hat
  18. rush — a thrill
  19. land — a country
  20. straw — to clutch at straws
  21. row — a quarrel
  22. rush — to hurry
  23. land — ground
  24. land — to come down

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