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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 hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  2. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  3. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  4. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  5. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  6. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  7. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  8. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  9. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  10. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  11. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  12. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  13. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  14. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  15. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  16. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  17. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  18. The tickets are free of ________________.
  19. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  20. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  21. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  22. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  23. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  24. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — part of the body
  2. hand — in cards
  3. charge — in control
  4. lash — to lash out
  5. lean — to bend
  6. current — of water
  7. hand — help
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. charge — electricity
  10. lash — an eyelash
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. snap — to speak sharply
  13. scale — size or range
  14. lean — to rest against
  15. snap — to snap out of it
  16. current — happening now
  17. lash — a whip stroke
  18. charge — a price
  19. calf — of the leg
  20. scale — for weighing
  21. lean — thin
  22. current — electric
  23. scale — in music
  24. snap — to click

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