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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. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  2. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  3. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  4. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  5. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  6. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  7. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  8. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  9. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  10. It's one o'clock ________________.
  11. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  12. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  13. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  14. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  15. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  16. I can't ________________ this cold.
  17. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  18. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  19. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  20. Have you settled on a ________________?
  21. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  22. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  23. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  24. Let us try to swim against the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — to lash out
  2. stand — on your feet
  3. bear — the animal
  4. fine — high quality
  5. bear — to put up with
  6. sharp — with an edge
  7. current — electric
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. cap — a lid
  10. sharp — exactly
  11. cap — of ice
  12. current — happening now
  13. cap — a hat
  14. fine — all right
  15. fine — a penalty
  16. stand — to bear
  17. bear — the animal
  18. lash — an eyelash
  19. lash — a whip stroke
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. sharp — clever
  22. stand — for spectators
  23. date — the fruit
  24. current — of water

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