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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. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  2. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  3. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  4. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  5. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  6. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  7. David sat on the ________________.
  8. When will it ________________ you to start?
  9. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  10. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  11. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  12. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  13. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  14. That must've been a ________________.
  15. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  16. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  17. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  18. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  19. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  20. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  21. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  22. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  23. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  24. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.

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

Answer key

  1. current — happening now
  2. cap — of ice
  3. lash — an eyelash
  4. rush — to hurry
  5. lash — to lash out
  6. wound — an injury
  7. swing — to play on
  8. suit — to fit
  9. track — a song
  10. cap — a hat
  11. suit — clothes
  12. wound — an injury
  13. suit — in cards
  14. rush — a thrill
  15. lash — a whip stroke
  16. rush — hurry
  17. track — to keep track
  18. cap — a lid
  19. swing — in golf
  20. current — electric
  21. track — a path
  22. wound — past of 'wind'
  23. current — of water
  24. swing — music

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