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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. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  2. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  3. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  4. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  5. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  6. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  7. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  8. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  9. The King held a masked ________________.
  10. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  11. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  12. That must've been a ________________.
  13. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  14. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  15. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  16. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  17. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  18. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  19. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  20. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  21. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  22. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  23. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  24. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — a coil
  2. lash — to lash out
  3. rock — to move gently
  4. present — a gift
  5. pitch — completely
  6. current — happening now
  7. ball — a round shape
  8. spring — of water
  9. ball — a dance
  10. rush — hurry
  11. spring — the season
  12. rush — a thrill
  13. rock — a stone
  14. ball — a great time
  15. lash — a whip stroke
  16. rock — music
  17. lash — an eyelash
  18. present — the time now
  19. pitch — a sports field
  20. current — of water
  21. rush — to hurry
  22. pitch — a sales talk
  23. current — electric
  24. present — there

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