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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. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  2. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  3. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  4. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  5. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  6. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  7. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  8. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  9. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  10. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  11. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  12. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  13. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  14. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  15. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  16. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  17. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  18. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  19. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  20. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  21. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  22. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  23. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  24. The King held a masked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — an eyelash
  2. wound — past of 'wind'
  3. current — electric
  4. leaves — to go away
  5. trunk — of an elephant
  6. trunk — of a tree
  7. wound — an injury
  8. leaves — lets stay
  9. clip — a video
  10. clip — to cut
  11. current — happening now
  12. lash — a whip stroke
  13. ball — a great time
  14. current — of water
  15. club — for golf
  16. clip — for paper
  17. club — for dancing
  18. ball — a round shape
  19. wound — an injury
  20. club — a group
  21. trunk — of a car
  22. lash — to lash out
  23. leaves — of a tree
  24. ball — a dance

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