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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. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  2. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  3. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  4. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  5. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  6. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  7. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  8. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  9. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  10. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  11. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  12. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  13. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  14. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  15. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  16. When will it ________________ you to start?
  17. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  18. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  19. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  20. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  21. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  22. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  23. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  24. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — an eyelash
  2. fork — to eat with
  3. suit — in cards
  4. stick — to attach or keep to
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. lash — to lash out
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. fork — in a road
  9. fork — a garden tool
  10. drill — a practice
  11. current — happening now
  12. current — of water
  13. drill — the tool
  14. current — electric
  15. race — humankind
  16. suit — to fit
  17. bass — the instrument
  18. race — a contest
  19. race — the arms race
  20. bass — the fish
  21. drill — army training
  22. bass — low music
  23. lash — a whip stroke
  24. suit — clothes

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