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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 124 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. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  2. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  3. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  4. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  5. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  6. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  7. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  8. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  9. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  10. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  11. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  12. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  13. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  14. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  15. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  16. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  17. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  18. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  19. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  20. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  21. It's one o'clock ________________.
  22. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  23. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  24. The train ________________ at six o'clock.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to speak sharply
  2. current — happening now
  3. bear — the animal
  4. degree — from a university
  5. lash — a whip stroke
  6. bear — the animal
  7. snap — to snap out of it
  8. pit — in a race
  9. leaves — lets stay
  10. leaves — of a tree
  11. lash — an eyelash
  12. lash — to lash out
  13. pit — a fruit stone
  14. pit — a hole
  15. degree — temperature
  16. sharp — with an edge
  17. degree — an amount
  18. current — electric
  19. sharp — clever
  20. snap — to click
  21. sharp — exactly
  22. current — of water
  23. bear — to put up with
  24. leaves — to go away

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