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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. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  2. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  3. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  4. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  5. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  6. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  7. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  8. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  9. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  10. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  11. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  12. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  13. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  14. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  15. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  16. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  17. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  18. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  19. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  20. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  21. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  22. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  23. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  24. The spa offers ________________ extensions.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — to cool the air
  2. content — the amount
  3. firm — decided
  4. snap — to snap out of it
  5. current — of water
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. firm — steady
  9. current — electric
  10. lash — a whip stroke
  11. ruler — a monarch
  12. current — happening now
  13. firm — a company
  14. snap — to speak sharply
  15. content — videos and posts
  16. snap — to click
  17. kick — with a leg
  18. lash — to lash out
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. kick — a thrill
  21. content — happy
  22. kick — in football
  23. ruler — for measuring
  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