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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. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  3. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  4. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  5. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  6. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  7. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  8. When will it ________________ you to start?
  9. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  10. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  11. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  12. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  13. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  14. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  15. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  16. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  17. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  18. It's one o'clock ________________.
  19. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  20. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  21. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  22. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  23. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  24. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — to lash out
  2. straw — a straw man
  3. mine — belonging to me
  4. suit — in cards
  5. straw — dry grass
  6. lash — a whip stroke
  7. current — of water
  8. suit — to fit
  9. mine — an explosive
  10. lash — an eyelash
  11. sharp — clever
  12. wake — before a funeral
  13. firm — a company
  14. wake — a trail
  15. firm — steady
  16. suit — clothes
  17. current — electric
  18. sharp — exactly
  19. current — happening now
  20. firm — decided
  21. straw — to clutch at straws
  22. sharp — with an edge
  23. mine — for digging
  24. wake — to stop sleeping

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