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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. Have you met the new head ________________?
  2. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  3. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  4. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  5. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  6. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  7. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  8. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  9. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  10. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  11. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  12. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  13. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  14. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  15. He works in a ________________ mill.
  16. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  17. She's very handy with a ________________.
  18. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  19. The tickets are free of ________________.
  20. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  21. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  22. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  23. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  24. There's no middle ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. ground — crushed
  3. lash — an eyelash
  4. saw — past of 'see'
  5. lash — a whip stroke
  6. lash — to lash out
  7. current — electric
  8. ground — the earth
  9. coach — pulled by horses
  10. rule — to rule out
  11. current — happening now
  12. current — of water
  13. craft — boats
  14. rule — government
  15. saw — the tool
  16. craft — a skill
  17. saw — the tool
  18. rule — a law
  19. charge — a price
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. charge — electricity
  22. charge — in control
  23. craft — a handicraft
  24. ground — a position

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