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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 116 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. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  2. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  3. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  4. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  5. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  6. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  7. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  8. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  9. Did you ________________ the meat?
  10. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  11. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  12. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  13. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  14. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  15. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  16. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  17. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  18. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  19. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  20. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  21. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  22. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  23. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  24. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. current — of water
  2. season — of the year
  3. lash — to lash out
  4. present — there
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. clip — a video
  7. hide — animal skin
  8. bear — the animal
  9. season — to add flavour
  10. lash — a whip stroke
  11. bowl — a football final
  12. clip — for paper
  13. current — electric
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. clip — to cut
  16. current — happening now
  17. bear — to put up with
  18. bowl — to roll
  19. bowl — a dish
  20. present — a gift
  21. bear — the animal
  22. lash — an eyelash
  23. present — the time now
  24. season — in sport

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