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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 116 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. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  2. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  3. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  4. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  5. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  6. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  7. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  8. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  9. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  10. How do you ________________ your surname?
  11. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  12. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  13. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  14. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  15. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  16. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  17. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  18. I can't ________________ this cold.
  19. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  20. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  21. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  22. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  23. It's one o'clock ________________.
  24. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. current — of water
  2. lash — an eyelash
  3. lash — a whip stroke
  4. sharp — clever
  5. current — electric
  6. lash — to lash out
  7. spell — magic
  8. pitch — a sports field
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. spell — letters
  11. spell — a short time
  12. march — the month
  13. sharp — with an edge
  14. march — music
  15. march — the month
  16. current — happening now
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. stand — to bear
  19. lie — to recline
  20. stand — on your feet
  21. pitch — completely
  22. pitch — a sales talk
  23. sharp — exactly
  24. stand — for spectators

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