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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 116 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. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  2. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  3. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  4. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  5. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  6. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  7. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  8. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  9. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  10. The tickets are free of ________________.
  11. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  12. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  13. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  14. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  15. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  16. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  17. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  18. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  19. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  20. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  21. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  22. The King held a masked ________________.
  23. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  24. Can you turn the ________________ on?

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

Answer key

  1. race — humankind
  2. current — electric
  3. charge — electricity
  4. chair — a professorship
  5. current — of water
  6. charge — in control
  7. ball — a great time
  8. current — happening now
  9. lash — to lash out
  10. charge — a price
  11. snap — to click
  12. chair — to sit on
  13. snap — to speak sharply
  14. snap — to snap out of it
  15. lash — a whip stroke
  16. lash — an eyelash
  17. ball — a round shape
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. race — the arms race
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. chair — a leader
  22. ball — a dance
  23. race — a contest
  24. fan — to cool the air

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