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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. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  2. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  3. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  4. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  5. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  6. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  7. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  8. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  9. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  10. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  11. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  12. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  13. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  14. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  15. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  16. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  17. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  18. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  19. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  20. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  21. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  22. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  23. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  24. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to click
  2. rule — to rule out
  3. present — the time now
  4. lash — a whip stroke
  5. lash — an eyelash
  6. snap — to snap out of it
  7. band — a music group
  8. rule — government
  9. bore — to tire
  10. rule — a law
  11. stick — to attach or keep to
  12. present — there
  13. bore — gave birth
  14. present — a gift
  15. current — of water
  16. current — electric
  17. band — a rubber band
  18. bore — to drill
  19. snap — to speak sharply
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. current — happening now
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. lash — to lash out
  24. band — a ring

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