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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. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  2. That must've been a ________________.
  3. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  4. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  5. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  6. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  7. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  8. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  9. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  10. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  11. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  12. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  13. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  14. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  15. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  16. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  17. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  18. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  19. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  20. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  21. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  22. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  23. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  24. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — a sauce
  2. rush — a thrill
  3. dip — to dunk
  4. present — a gift
  5. lash — a whip stroke
  6. current — electric
  7. rush — to hurry
  8. cue — a signal
  9. current — happening now
  10. band — a ring
  11. lash — an eyelash
  12. dip — to sink
  13. object — a thing
  14. current — of water
  15. lash — to lash out
  16. cue — for pool
  17. rush — hurry
  18. cue — a hint
  19. present — there
  20. object — an aim
  21. present — the time now
  22. object — to protest
  23. band — a music group
  24. band — a rubber band

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