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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. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  2. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  3. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  4. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  5. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  6. It's one o'clock ________________.
  7. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  8. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  9. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  10. The water is too ________________.
  11. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  12. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  13. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  14. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  15. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  16. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  17. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  18. The tickets are free of ________________.
  19. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  20. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  21. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  22. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  23. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  24. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — an eyelash
  2. current — electric
  3. sharp — clever
  4. lash — a whip stroke
  5. cold — the Cold War
  6. sharp — exactly
  7. craft — a skill
  8. charge — in control
  9. cold — an illness
  10. cold — not warm
  11. current — of water
  12. toast — the most admired
  13. sharp — with an edge
  14. branch — of a bank
  15. current — happening now
  16. toast — a drink to someone
  17. craft — boats
  18. charge — a price
  19. branch — of a tree
  20. lash — to lash out
  21. toast — bread
  22. charge — electricity
  23. branch — a division
  24. craft — a handicraft

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