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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. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  2. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  3. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  4. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  5. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  6. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  7. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  8. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  9. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  10. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  11. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  12. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  13. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  14. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  15. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  16. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  17. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  18. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  19. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  20. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  21. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  22. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  23. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  24. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — a sauce
  2. kick — with a leg
  3. lash — a whip stroke
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. dip — to dunk
  6. kick — in football
  7. race — humankind
  8. chair — a leader
  9. race — the arms race
  10. dip — to sink
  11. chair — to sit on
  12. wake — before a funeral
  13. fan — to cool the air
  14. chair — a professorship
  15. lash — an eyelash
  16. wake — to stop sleeping
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. current — happening now
  19. race — a contest
  20. current — of water
  21. lash — to lash out
  22. current — electric
  23. wake — a trail
  24. kick — a thrill

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