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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. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  2. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  3. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  4. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  5. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  6. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  7. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  8. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  9. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  10. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  11. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  12. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  13. It's one o'clock ________________.
  14. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  15. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  16. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  17. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  18. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  19. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  20. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  21. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  22. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  23. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  24. The spa offers ________________ extensions.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a song
  2. lash — a whip stroke
  3. lash — to lash out
  4. rule — a law
  5. rule — government
  6. field — farmland
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. craft — boats
  9. craft — a handicraft
  10. stick — to attach or keep to
  11. field — a subject
  12. current — electric
  13. sharp — exactly
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. current — happening now
  16. track — to keep track
  17. craft — a skill
  18. track — a path
  19. rule — to rule out
  20. sharp — clever
  21. field — for sport
  22. sharp — with an edge
  23. current — of water
  24. lash — an eyelash

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