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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. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  3. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  4. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  5. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  6. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  7. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  8. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  9. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  10. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  11. The ball is in your ________________.
  12. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  13. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  14. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  15. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  16. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  17. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  18. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  19. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  20. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  21. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  22. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  23. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  24. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. current — of water
  2. rule — a law
  3. lash — a whip stroke
  4. rule — government
  5. rule — to rule out
  6. lash — to lash out
  7. lean — to rest against
  8. court — of a king
  9. lean — to bend
  10. trunk — of a car
  11. court — for sport
  12. firm — decided
  13. firm — a company
  14. firm — steady
  15. straw — to clutch at straws
  16. current — happening now
  17. straw — a straw man
  18. trunk — of an elephant
  19. current — electric
  20. trunk — of a tree
  21. court — of law
  22. lean — thin
  23. lash — an eyelash
  24. straw — dry grass

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