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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. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  2. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  3. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  4. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  5. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  6. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  7. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  8. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  9. She's very handy with a ________________.
  10. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  11. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  12. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  13. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  14. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  15. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  16. He is an ace ________________.
  17. He works in a ________________ mill.
  18. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  19. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  20. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  21. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  22. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  23. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  24. ________________ games are popular in Germany.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — past of 'wind'
  2. racket — a loud noise
  3. lash — a whip stroke
  4. saw — past of 'see'
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. board — a committee
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. lash — an eyelash
  9. saw — the tool
  10. wound — an injury
  11. current — electric
  12. pit — a fruit stone
  13. pit — a hole
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. board — to get on
  16. pitcher — in baseball
  17. saw — the tool
  18. wound — an injury
  19. current — happening now
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. current — of water
  22. lash — to lash out
  23. pit — in a race
  24. board — a flat piece

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