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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. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  2. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  3. Where did you ________________ them?
  4. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  5. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  6. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  7. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  8. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  9. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  10. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  11. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  12. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  13. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  14. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  15. There's no middle ________________.
  16. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  17. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  18. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  19. False peace will not ________________.
  20. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  21. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  22. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  23. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  24. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.

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

Answer key

  1. last — finally
  2. chair — a professorship
  3. mug — to rob
  4. lash — to lash out
  5. mug — a cup
  6. lash — an eyelash
  7. chair — a leader
  8. last — final
  9. chair — to sit on
  10. current — electric
  11. lash — a whip stroke
  12. mine — belonging to me
  13. mine — for digging
  14. current — happening now
  15. ground — a position
  16. ruler — a monarch
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. ground — crushed
  19. last — to go on
  20. mine — an explosive
  21. current — of water
  22. ground — the earth
  23. mug — a face
  24. ruler — for measuring

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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