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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. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  2. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  3. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  4. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  5. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  6. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  7. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  8. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  9. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  10. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  11. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  12. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  13. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  14. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  15. The ball is in your ________________.
  16. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  17. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  18. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  19. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  20. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  21. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  22. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  23. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  24. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.

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. file — a tool
  4. file — a document
  5. court — of a king
  6. wake — before a funeral
  7. wake — a trail
  8. mine — belonging to me
  9. file — a line of people
  10. prune — to trim
  11. prune — the fruit
  12. current — of water
  13. court — of law
  14. lash — a whip stroke
  15. court — for sport
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. mine — an explosive
  18. mine — for digging
  19. wake — to stop sleeping
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. prune — to trim
  22. safe — a strongbox
  23. current — happening now
  24. lash — to lash out

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