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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. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  2. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  3. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  4. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  5. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  6. Have you found your soul ________________?
  7. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  8. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  9. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  10. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  11. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  12. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  13. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  14. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  15. I'll be taking the ________________.
  16. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  17. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  18. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  19. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  20. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  21. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  22. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  23. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  24. Check the label for the sugar ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. current — electric
  2. can — a tin
  3. fork — to eat with
  4. rock — music
  5. lash — to lash out
  6. mate — a partner
  7. can — a tin
  8. current — of water
  9. content — happy
  10. fork — in a road
  11. lash — a whip stroke
  12. content — videos and posts
  13. current — happening now
  14. tube — a container
  15. tube — the underground
  16. fork — a garden tool
  17. lash — an eyelash
  18. tube — in a tire
  19. mate — a friend
  20. can — to be able to
  21. mate — to breed
  22. rock — to move gently
  23. rock — a stone
  24. content — the amount

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