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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. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  2. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  3. He works in a ________________ mill.
  4. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  5. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  6. She's very handy with a ________________.
  7. Have you found your soul ________________?
  8. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  9. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  10. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  11. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  12. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  13. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  14. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  15. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  16. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  17. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  18. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  19. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  20. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  21. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  22. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  23. That was ________________ to happen.
  24. I'll be taking the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — to lash out
  2. current — of water
  3. saw — the tool
  4. mate — a friend
  5. current — electric
  6. saw — the tool
  7. mate — a partner
  8. bowl — a football final
  9. lean — thin
  10. bowl — a dish
  11. bound — obliged
  12. lash — a whip stroke
  13. lean — to rest against
  14. current — happening now
  15. tube — a container
  16. lean — to bend
  17. lash — an eyelash
  18. tube — in a tire
  19. bowl — to roll
  20. saw — past of 'see'
  21. bound — tied together
  22. mate — to breed
  23. bound — certain
  24. tube — the underground

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