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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. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  2. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  3. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  4. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  5. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  6. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  7. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  8. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  9. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  10. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  11. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  12. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  13. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  14. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  15. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  16. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  17. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  18. David sat on the ________________.
  19. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  20. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  21. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  22. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  23. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  24. Let us try to swim against the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. firm — steady
  3. lash — an eyelash
  4. current — electric
  5. firm — a company
  6. spring — of water
  7. spring — a coil
  8. rest — a break
  9. firm — decided
  10. mouse — for a computer
  11. lash — to lash out
  12. board — to get on
  13. rest — what's left
  14. lash — a whip stroke
  15. rest — what's left
  16. swing — in golf
  17. board — a committee
  18. swing — to play on
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. swing — music
  21. board — a flat piece
  22. current — happening now
  23. spring — the season
  24. current — of water

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