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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. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  2. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  3. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  4. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  5. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  6. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  7. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  8. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  9. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  10. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  11. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  12. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  13. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  14. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  15. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  16. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  17. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  18. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  19. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  20. Have you found your soul ________________?
  21. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  22. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  23. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  24. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.

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

Answer key

  1. current — electric
  2. present — a gift
  3. current — happening now
  4. lash — a whip stroke
  5. capital — money
  6. track — a song
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. mate — a friend
  9. present — the time now
  10. current — of water
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. present — there
  13. track — a path
  14. lash — an eyelash
  15. mate — to breed
  16. track — to keep track
  17. fan — to cool the air
  18. prune — the fruit
  19. capital — a big letter
  20. mate — a partner
  21. prune — to trim
  22. lash — to lash out
  23. capital — a city
  24. prune — to trim

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