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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. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  3. Have you found your soul ________________?
  4. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  5. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  6. The ________________ went through the wall.
  7. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  8. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  9. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  10. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  11. Did you ________________ the meat?
  12. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  13. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  14. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  15. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  16. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  17. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  18. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  19. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  20. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  21. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  22. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  23. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  24. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.

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

Answer key

  1. current — happening now
  2. current — of water
  3. mate — a partner
  4. drill — army training
  5. file — a document
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. season — of the year
  8. mark — a trace
  9. lash — an eyelash
  10. nail — on a finger
  11. season — to add flavour
  12. current — electric
  13. mark — a grade
  14. drill — a practice
  15. season — in sport
  16. mate — a friend
  17. mate — to breed
  18. lash — a whip stroke
  19. file — a tool
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. file — a line of people
  22. drill — the tool
  23. lash — to lash out
  24. mark — to pay attention

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