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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. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  2. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  3. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  4. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  5. Don't do anything ________________.
  6. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  7. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  8. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  9. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  10. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  11. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  12. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  13. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  14. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  15. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  16. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  17. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  18. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  19. This piece is in a major ________________.
  20. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  21. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  22. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  23. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  24. You can't go backstage without a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — to lash out
  2. lie — to recline
  3. lash — a whip stroke
  4. current — happening now
  5. rash — hasty
  6. chair — a leader
  7. chair — a professorship
  8. kid — to tease
  9. rash — a series
  10. pass — to spend time
  11. key — for a lock
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. kid — child
  14. chair — to sit on
  15. current — electric
  16. key — the most important part
  17. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  18. lash — an eyelash
  19. key — in music
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. current — of water
  22. rash — on the skin
  23. pass — to succeed
  24. pass — a permit

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