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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. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  2. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  3. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  4. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  5. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  6. I'll be taking the ________________.
  7. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  8. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  9. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  10. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  11. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  12. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  13. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  14. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  15. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  16. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  17. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  18. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  19. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  20. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  21. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  22. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  23. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  24. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.

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

Answer key

  1. current — of water
  2. lash — to lash out
  3. degree — temperature
  4. lash — a whip stroke
  5. row — to paddle
  6. tube — the underground
  7. bank — for money
  8. wind — to turn a key
  9. bank — for money
  10. row — a line
  11. wind — moving air
  12. current — happening now
  13. present — the time now
  14. current — electric
  15. present — a gift
  16. bank — of a river
  17. row — a quarrel
  18. tube — in a tire
  19. wind — moving air
  20. present — there
  21. tube — a container
  22. degree — an amount
  23. lash — an eyelash
  24. degree — from a university

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