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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. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  2. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  3. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  4. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  5. There's no middle ________________.
  6. Don't do anything ________________.
  7. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  8. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  11. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  12. My mare is ________________ in color.
  13. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  14. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  15. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  16. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  17. What do you think of the new ________________?
  18. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  19. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  20. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  21. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  22. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  23. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  24. The spa offers ________________ extensions.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. rash — a series
  3. wake — before a funeral
  4. rash — on the skin
  5. ground — a position
  6. rash — hasty
  7. current — of water
  8. bay — a part of the sea
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. wake — a trail
  11. lash — to lash out
  12. bay — a horse colour
  13. ground — the earth
  14. cabinet — a cupboard
  15. wake — to stop sleeping
  16. current — happening now
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. can — to be able to
  19. lash — a whip stroke
  20. ground — crushed
  21. current — electric
  22. bay — to keep at bay
  23. can — a tin
  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