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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. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  2. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  3. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  4. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  5. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  6. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  7. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  8. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  9. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  10. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  11. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  12. When are we going to ________________?
  13. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  14. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  15. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  16. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  17. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  18. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  19. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  20. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  21. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  22. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  23. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  24. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — to lash out
  2. wake — a trail
  3. drill — the tool
  4. hand — in cards
  5. lash — an eyelash
  6. current — happening now
  7. lash — a whip stroke
  8. pass — to succeed
  9. racket — a loud noise
  10. drill — a practice
  11. current — electric
  12. land — to come down
  13. land — ground
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. wake — to stop sleeping
  16. wake — before a funeral
  17. hand — part of the body
  18. hand — help
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. pass — a permit
  21. current — of water
  22. drill — army training
  23. land — a country
  24. pass — to spend time

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