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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. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  2. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  3. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  4. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  5. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  6. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  7. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  8. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  9. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  10. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  11. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  12. What do you think of the new ________________?
  13. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  14. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  15. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  16. The tickets are free of ________________.
  17. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  18. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  19. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  20. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  21. David sat on the ________________.
  22. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  23. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  24. The spa offers ________________ extensions.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — to move gently
  2. kick — with a leg
  3. kick — a thrill
  4. charge — electricity
  5. swing — music
  6. current — of water
  7. lash — a whip stroke
  8. cabinet — a cupboard
  9. swing — in golf
  10. charge — in control
  11. kick — in football
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. current — electric
  14. rock — a stone
  15. rock — music
  16. charge — a price
  17. lash — to lash out
  18. wax — for sculpting
  19. current — happening now
  20. wax — to grow
  21. swing — to play on
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. wax — in the ear
  24. lash — an eyelash

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