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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. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  2. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  3. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  4. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  5. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  6. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  7. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  8. False peace will not ________________.
  9. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  10. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  11. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  12. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  13. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  14. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  15. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  16. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  17. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  18. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  19. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  20. Don't do anything ________________.
  21. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  22. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  23. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  24. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. current — happening now
  2. wake — before a funeral
  3. straw — dry grass
  4. lash — to lash out
  5. cue — a signal
  6. straw — a straw man
  7. cue — a hint
  8. last — to go on
  9. current — of water
  10. lash — an eyelash
  11. lean — to rest against
  12. wake — to stop sleeping
  13. lean — thin
  14. lash — a whip stroke
  15. last — final
  16. wake — a trail
  17. rash — a series
  18. cue — for pool
  19. lean — to bend
  20. rash — hasty
  21. straw — to clutch at straws
  22. last — finally
  23. rash — on the skin
  24. current — electric

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