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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 120 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. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  2. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  3. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  4. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  5. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  6. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  7. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  8. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  9. Have you met the new head ________________?
  10. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  11. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  12. I'll be taking the ________________.
  13. David sat on the ________________.
  14. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  15. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  16. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  17. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  18. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  19. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  20. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  21. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  22. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  23. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  24. Is it ________________ for us to be here?

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

Answer key

  1. current — happening now
  2. coach — pulled by horses
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. current — of water
  5. swing — music
  6. mouse — for a computer
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. clip — to cut
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. lash — to lash out
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. tube — the underground
  13. swing — to play on
  14. safe — a strongbox
  15. clip — a video
  16. lash — an eyelash
  17. tube — a container
  18. swing — in golf
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. tube — in a tire
  21. lash — a whip stroke
  22. clip — for paper
  23. current — electric
  24. safe — out of danger

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