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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. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  2. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  3. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  4. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  5. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  6. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  7. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  8. What do you think of the new ________________?
  9. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  10. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  11. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  12. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  13. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  14. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  15. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  16. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  17. I can't ________________ this cold.
  18. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  19. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  20. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  21. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  22. Don't do anything ________________.
  23. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  24. I seem to be developing a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — music
  2. cabinet — a cupboard
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. content — happy
  5. current — happening now
  6. lash — a whip stroke
  7. current — of water
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. stand — on your feet
  10. rash — a series
  11. stand — for spectators
  12. content — the amount
  13. current — electric
  14. lash — to lash out
  15. rock — to move gently
  16. ruler — a monarch
  17. stand — to bear
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. content — videos and posts
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. lash — an eyelash
  22. rash — hasty
  23. rock — a stone
  24. rash — on the skin

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