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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. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  2. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  3. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  4. When are we going to ________________?
  5. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  6. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  7. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  8. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  9. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  10. There's no middle ________________.
  11. Don't do anything ________________.
  12. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  13. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  14. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  15. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  16. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  17. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  18. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  19. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  20. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  21. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  22. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  23. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  24. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. pass — to spend time
  3. staff — a stick
  4. land — to come down
  5. current — of water
  6. current — happening now
  7. kid — child
  8. lash — a whip stroke
  9. ground — crushed
  10. ground — a position
  11. rash — hasty
  12. land — a country
  13. rash — a series
  14. rash — on the skin
  15. lash — to lash out
  16. ground — the earth
  17. staff — employees
  18. pass — a permit
  19. current — electric
  20. pass — to succeed
  21. land — ground
  22. kid — to tease
  23. lash — an eyelash
  24. kid — young goat (kid gloves)

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