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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 120 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. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  3. Did you ________________ the meat?
  4. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  5. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  6. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  7. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  8. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  9. That must've been a ________________.
  10. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  11. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  12. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  13. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  14. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  15. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  16. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  17. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  18. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  19. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  20. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  21. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  22. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  23. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  24. ________________ you help me carry this box?

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

Answer key

  1. rock — to move gently
  2. rock — music
  3. season — to add flavour
  4. rush — to hurry
  5. current — of water
  6. current — electric
  7. rush — hurry
  8. hand — in cards
  9. rush — a thrill
  10. season — of the year
  11. can — a tin
  12. lash — to lash out
  13. current — happening now
  14. kick — with a leg
  15. lash — an eyelash
  16. lash — a whip stroke
  17. kick — in football
  18. hand — help
  19. kick — a thrill
  20. hand — part of the body
  21. season — in sport
  22. rock — a stone
  23. can — a tin
  24. can — to be able to

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