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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. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  2. Did you ________________ the meat?
  3. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  4. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  5. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  6. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  7. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  8. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  9. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  10. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  11. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  12. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  13. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  14. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  15. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  16. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  17. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  18. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  19. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  20. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  21. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  22. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  23. Don't do anything ________________.
  24. The water is too ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. current — electric
  2. season — to add flavour
  3. lash — a whip stroke
  4. current — of water
  5. season — in sport
  6. cold — an illness
  7. rash — on the skin
  8. bowl — to roll
  9. bowl — a football final
  10. bowl — a dish
  11. lash — an eyelash
  12. kick — a thrill
  13. kick — in football
  14. staff — employees
  15. rash — a series
  16. staff — a stick
  17. current — happening now
  18. staff — employees
  19. season — of the year
  20. kick — with a leg
  21. cold — the Cold War
  22. lash — to lash out
  23. rash — hasty
  24. cold — not warm

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