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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. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  2. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  3. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  4. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  5. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  6. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  7. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  8. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  9. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  10. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  11. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  12. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  13. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  14. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  15. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  16. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  17. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  18. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  19. David sat on the ________________.
  20. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  21. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  22. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  23. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  24. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — a whip stroke
  2. field — a subject
  3. lash — an eyelash
  4. current — electric
  5. track — to keep track
  6. track — a path
  7. field — farmland
  8. ruler — a monarch
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. wax — to grow
  11. swing — music
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. swing — in golf
  14. field — for sport
  15. mouse — for a computer
  16. wax — for sculpting
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. wax — in the ear
  19. swing — to play on
  20. track — a song
  21. current — happening now
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. current — of water
  24. lash — to lash out

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