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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. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  2. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  3. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  4. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  5. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  6. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  7. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  8. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  9. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  10. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  11. I'll be taking the ________________.
  12. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  13. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  14. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  15. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  16. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  17. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  18. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  19. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  20. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  21. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  22. That was a fun ________________.
  23. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  24. Do you need a ________________ with that?

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

Answer key

  1. file — a line of people
  2. lash — an eyelash
  3. current — happening now
  4. present — the time now
  5. hand — part of the body
  6. file — a document
  7. rock — a stone
  8. lash — to lash out
  9. game — wild animals
  10. rock — music
  11. tube — the underground
  12. tube — a container
  13. current — electric
  14. present — a gift
  15. file — a tool
  16. hand — in cards
  17. game — a kind of play
  18. present — there
  19. tube — in a tire
  20. current — of water
  21. lash — a whip stroke
  22. game — a match
  23. rock — to move gently
  24. hand — help

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