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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. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  2. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  3. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  4. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  5. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  6. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  7. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  8. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  9. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  10. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  11. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  12. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  13. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  14. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  15. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  16. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  17. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  18. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  19. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  20. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  21. That was ________________ to happen.
  22. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  23. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  24. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — an eyelash
  2. current — happening now
  3. bass — the instrument
  4. kid — child
  5. lash — to lash out
  6. toast — the most admired
  7. bound — tied together
  8. bound — obliged
  9. branch — of a bank
  10. branch — a division
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. fan — to cool the air
  13. current — electric
  14. lash — a whip stroke
  15. bass — the fish
  16. kid — to tease
  17. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  18. toast — a drink to someone
  19. toast — bread
  20. current — of water
  21. bound — certain
  22. branch — of a tree
  23. bass — low music
  24. fan — a supporter

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