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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. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  2. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  3. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  4. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  5. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  6. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  7. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  8. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  9. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  10. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  11. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  12. It's one o'clock ________________.
  13. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  14. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  15. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  16. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  17. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  18. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  19. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  20. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  21. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  22. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  23. The King held a masked ________________.
  24. The kitten curled into a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a great time
  2. net — for catching
  3. lash — to lash out
  4. kid — to tease
  5. current — of water
  6. current — electric
  7. mark — to pay attention
  8. net — after costs
  9. mark — a grade
  10. lash — a whip stroke
  11. sharp — clever
  12. sharp — exactly
  13. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  14. cue — a signal
  15. kid — child
  16. lash — an eyelash
  17. cue — a hint
  18. cue — for pool
  19. mark — a trace
  20. net — in sport
  21. sharp — with an edge
  22. current — happening now
  23. ball — a dance
  24. ball — a round shape

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