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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. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  3. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  4. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  5. When will it ________________ you to start?
  6. There's no middle ________________.
  7. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  8. The ________________ took off on time.
  9. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  10. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  11. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  12. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  13. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  14. Where did you ________________ them?
  15. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  16. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  17. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  18. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  19. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  20. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  21. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  22. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  23. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  24. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — to lash out
  2. suit — in cards
  3. ground — crushed
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. suit — to fit
  6. ground — a position
  7. ground — the earth
  8. plane — an aircraft
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. plane — in geometry
  12. suit — clothes
  13. current — happening now
  14. mug — to rob
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. plane — a tool
  17. mug — a cup
  18. lash — an eyelash
  19. current — of water
  20. current — electric
  21. mouse — for a computer
  22. lash — a whip stroke
  23. mug — a face
  24. stick — to attach or keep to

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