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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. When was this ________________ built?
  2. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  3. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  4. Don't do anything ________________.
  5. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  6. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  7. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  8. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  9. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  10. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  11. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  12. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  13. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  14. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  15. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  16. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  17. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  18. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  19. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  20. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  21. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  22. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  23. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  24. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. snap — to speak sharply
  3. rash — on the skin
  4. rash — hasty
  5. wake — before a funeral
  6. perch — the fish
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. pound — a weight
  9. current — of water
  10. snap — to click
  11. current — happening now
  12. lash — a whip stroke
  13. lash — an eyelash
  14. lash — to lash out
  15. pound — for dogs
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. wake — to stop sleeping
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. pound — to hit hard
  20. snap — to snap out of it
  21. rash — a series
  22. temple — side of the head
  23. wake — a trail
  24. current — electric

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