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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. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  3. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  4. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  5. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  6. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  7. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  8. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  9. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  10. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  11. You don't need to ________________ round.
  12. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  13. David sat on the ________________.
  14. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  15. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  16. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  17. The ________________ went through the wall.
  18. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  19. I've got to change the light ________________.
  20. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  21. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  22. The ________________ market has crashed.
  23. We're almost out of ________________.
  24. The light ________________ burned out.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — to lash out
  2. current — of water
  3. trunk — of a car
  4. nail — on a finger
  5. trunk — of an elephant
  6. bulb — of a plant
  7. current — happening now
  8. swing — music
  9. swing — in golf
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. pop — to visit
  12. lash — a whip stroke
  13. swing — to play on
  14. pop — music
  15. lash — an eyelash
  16. trunk — of a tree
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. stock — goods
  19. bulb — for light
  20. current — electric
  21. stock — a soup base
  22. stock — shares
  23. pop — soda
  24. bulb — for light

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