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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. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  2. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  3. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  4. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  5. That must've been a ________________.
  6. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  7. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  8. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  9. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  10. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  11. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  12. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  13. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  14. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  15. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  16. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  17. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  18. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  19. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  20. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  21. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  22. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  23. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  24. The ________________ took off on time.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — hurry
  2. current — electric
  3. march — the month
  4. rock — music
  5. rush — a thrill
  6. safe — a strongbox
  7. rock — to move gently
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. rock — a stone
  11. lash — a whip stroke
  12. march — music
  13. object — to protest
  14. plane — in geometry
  15. object — a thing
  16. plane — a tool
  17. march — the month
  18. object — an aim
  19. lash — to lash out
  20. current — happening now
  21. current — of water
  22. rush — to hurry
  23. lash — an eyelash
  24. plane — an aircraft

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