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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. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  2. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  3. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  4. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  5. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  6. My mare is ________________ in color.
  7. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  8. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  9. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  10. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  11. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  12. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  13. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  14. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  15. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  16. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  17. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  18. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  19. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  20. When are we going to ________________?
  21. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  22. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  23. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  24. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — to crush
  2. current — of water
  3. lash — an eyelash
  4. squash — the sport
  5. bear — the animal
  6. bay — a horse colour
  7. degree — from a university
  8. present — a gift
  9. bay — a part of the sea
  10. bear — to put up with
  11. present — there
  12. lash — to lash out
  13. land — a country
  14. degree — an amount
  15. current — electric
  16. present — the time now
  17. squash — the vegetable
  18. degree — temperature
  19. land — ground
  20. land — to come down
  21. bay — to keep at bay
  22. current — happening now
  23. lash — a whip stroke
  24. bear — the animal

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