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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 120 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. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  3. I can't ________________ this cold.
  4. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  5. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  6. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  7. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  8. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  9. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  10. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  11. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  12. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  13. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  14. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  15. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  16. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  17. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  18. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  19. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  20. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  21. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  22. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  23. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  24. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.

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

Answer key

  1. current — of water
  2. lash — to lash out
  3. stand — to bear
  4. lash — a whip stroke
  5. track — to keep track
  6. deal — an agreement
  7. face — to confront
  8. club — a group
  9. current — electric
  10. lash — an eyelash
  11. club — for dancing
  12. stand — on your feet
  13. club — for golf
  14. deal — to handle
  15. face — part of the head
  16. track — a path
  17. current — happening now
  18. face — to point toward
  19. content — happy
  20. track — a song
  21. stand — for spectators
  22. content — the amount
  23. content — videos and posts
  24. deal — a big deal

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