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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. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  3. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  4. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  5. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  6. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  7. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  8. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  9. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  10. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  11. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  12. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  13. We're on a ________________ here.
  14. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  15. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  16. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  17. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  18. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  19. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  20. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  21. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  22. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  23. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  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. current — happening now
  2. roll — a list
  3. clip — to cut
  4. pitch — a sales talk
  5. lash — a whip stroke
  6. toast — bread
  7. clip — for paper
  8. clip — a video
  9. capital — a city
  10. current — of water
  11. stem — a stem cell
  12. pitch — completely
  13. roll — on a roll
  14. capital — money
  15. capital — a big letter
  16. stem — of a plant
  17. roll — a cake
  18. stem — to come from
  19. toast — the most admired
  20. pitch — a sports field
  21. current — electric
  22. lash — an eyelash
  23. toast — a drink to someone
  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