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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. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  3. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  4. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  5. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  6. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  7. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  8. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  9. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  10. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  11. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  12. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  13. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  14. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  15. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  16. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  17. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  18. My mare is ________________ in color.
  19. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  20. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  21. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  22. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  23. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  24. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.

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

Answer key

  1. current — of water
  2. bay — a part of the sea
  3. snap — to speak sharply
  4. lash — to lash out
  5. leaves — lets stay
  6. snap — to click
  7. lash — an eyelash
  8. wind — to turn a key
  9. degree — temperature
  10. row — to paddle
  11. row — a quarrel
  12. lash — a whip stroke
  13. current — electric
  14. current — happening now
  15. wind — moving air
  16. degree — an amount
  17. leaves — to go away
  18. bay — a horse colour
  19. bay — to keep at bay
  20. degree — from a university
  21. snap — to snap out of it
  22. leaves — of a tree
  23. wind — moving air
  24. row — a line

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