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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. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  2. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  3. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  4. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  5. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  6. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  7. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  8. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  9. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  10. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  11. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  12. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  13. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  14. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  15. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  16. False peace will not ________________.
  17. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  18. The tickets are free of ________________.
  19. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  20. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  21. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  22. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  23. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  24. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.

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

Answer key

  1. current — electric
  2. last — finally
  3. wave — a sudden rise
  4. can — to be able to
  5. lash — to lash out
  6. can — a tin
  7. present — a gift
  8. wave — of the sea
  9. lash — an eyelash
  10. spring — the season
  11. lash — a whip stroke
  12. last — final
  13. present — the time now
  14. wave — with your hand
  15. current — happening now
  16. last — to go on
  17. charge — electricity
  18. charge — a price
  19. present — there
  20. spring — a coil
  21. current — of water
  22. can — a tin
  23. spring — of water
  24. charge — in control

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