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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. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  2. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  3. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  4. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  5. The King held a masked ________________.
  6. What do you think of the new ________________?
  7. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  8. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  9. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  10. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  11. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  12. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  13. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  14. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  15. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  16. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  17. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  18. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  19. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  20. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  21. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  22. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  23. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  24. Don't do anything ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — a whip stroke
  2. lash — to lash out
  3. lash — an eyelash
  4. current — happening now
  5. ball — a dance
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. scale — in music
  8. scale — for weighing
  9. current — of water
  10. jam — in traffic
  11. ball — a round shape
  12. net — for catching
  13. current — electric
  14. cabinet — a cupboard
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. ball — a great time
  17. rash — on the skin
  18. jam — a tight spot
  19. net — after costs
  20. net — in sport
  21. jam — to spread on bread
  22. scale — size or range
  23. rash — a series
  24. rash — hasty

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