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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. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  2. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  3. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  4. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  5. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  6. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  7. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  8. When will it ________________ you to start?
  9. Did you ________________ the meat?
  10. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  11. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  12. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  13. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  14. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  15. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  16. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  17. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  18. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  19. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  20. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  21. That was a fun ________________.
  22. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  23. When are we going to ________________?
  24. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — to move gently
  2. lash — a whip stroke
  3. suit — in cards
  4. tear — to rip
  5. suit — clothes
  6. rock — a stone
  7. current — electric
  8. suit — to fit
  9. season — to add flavour
  10. season — in sport
  11. tear — from crying
  12. lash — an eyelash
  13. land — a country
  14. game — a kind of play
  15. current — happening now
  16. tear — from crying
  17. rock — music
  18. lash — to lash out
  19. land — ground
  20. current — of water
  21. game — a match
  22. season — of the year
  23. land — to come down
  24. game — wild animals

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