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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. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  2. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  3. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  4. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  5. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  6. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  7. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  8. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  9. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  10. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  11. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  12. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  13. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  14. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  15. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  16. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  17. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  18. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  19. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  20. False peace will not ________________.
  21. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  22. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  23. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  24. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!

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

Answer key

  1. scale — size or range
  2. lash — an eyelash
  3. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  4. cue — a signal
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. scale — for weighing
  8. kid — child
  9. kid — to tease
  10. current — happening now
  11. current — of water
  12. cue — for pool
  13. current — electric
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. last — finally
  16. ruler — a monarch
  17. lash — to lash out
  18. cue — a hint
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. last — to go on
  21. scale — in music
  22. lash — a whip stroke
  23. hide — animal skin
  24. last — final

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