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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. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  2. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  3. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  4. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  5. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  6. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  7. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  8. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  9. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  10. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  11. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  12. David sat on the ________________.
  13. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  14. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  15. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  16. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  17. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  18. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  19. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  20. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  21. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  22. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  23. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  24. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — a whip stroke
  2. file — a document
  3. shower — rain
  4. file — a line of people
  5. fork — a garden tool
  6. calf — of the leg
  7. fork — to eat with
  8. shower — a meteor shower
  9. swing — music
  10. current — happening now
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. swing — to play on
  13. wake — a trail
  14. current — of water
  15. wake — to stop sleeping
  16. fork — in a road
  17. file — a tool
  18. lash — an eyelash
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. lash — to lash out
  21. shower — to wash
  22. current — electric
  23. wake — before a funeral
  24. swing — in golf

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