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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. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  2. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  3. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  4. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  5. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  6. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  7. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  8. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  9. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  10. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  11. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  12. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  13. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  14. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  15. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  16. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  17. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  18. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  19. The light ________________ burned out.
  20. I've got to change the light ________________.
  21. Don't do anything ________________.
  22. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  23. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  24. Did you ________________ the button?

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

Answer key

  1. lash — to lash out
  2. current — electric
  3. track — to keep track
  4. fan — to cool the air
  5. rash — on the skin
  6. lash — a whip stroke
  7. wake — a trail
  8. current — of water
  9. track — a song
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. lash — an eyelash
  12. rash — a series
  13. wake — to stop sleeping
  14. press — a publisher
  15. current — happening now
  16. track — a path
  17. press — newspapers
  18. wake — before a funeral
  19. bulb — for light
  20. bulb — for light
  21. rash — hasty
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. bulb — of a plant
  24. press — to push

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