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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. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  2. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  3. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  4. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  5. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  6. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  7. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  8. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  9. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  10. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  11. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  12. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  13. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  14. There's no middle ________________.
  15. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  16. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  17. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  18. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  19. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  20. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  21. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  22. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  23. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  24. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — to wash
  2. shower — rain
  3. current — of water
  4. wave — with your hand
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. wave — a sudden rise
  7. lash — a whip stroke
  8. lean — to bend
  9. wind — moving air
  10. current — happening now
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. lie — to recline
  13. wind — to turn a key
  14. ground — a position
  15. shower — a meteor shower
  16. lean — thin
  17. ground — crushed
  18. wind — moving air
  19. lean — to rest against
  20. wave — of the sea
  21. lash — to lash out
  22. ground — the earth
  23. lash — an eyelash
  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