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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. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  2. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  3. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  4. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  5. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  6. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  7. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  8. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  9. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  10. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  11. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  12. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  13. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  14. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  15. That must've been a ________________.
  16. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  17. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  18. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  19. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  20. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  21. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  22. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  23. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  24. The spa offers ________________ extensions.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — army training
  2. current — electric
  3. chair — a leader
  4. bank — of a river
  5. current — happening now
  6. lash — to lash out
  7. craft — a handicraft
  8. snap — to snap out of it
  9. snap — to click
  10. craft — a skill
  11. craft — boats
  12. bank — for money
  13. rush — hurry
  14. chair — to sit on
  15. rush — a thrill
  16. drill — a practice
  17. lash — a whip stroke
  18. rush — to hurry
  19. chair — a professorship
  20. bank — for money
  21. current — of water
  22. drill — the tool
  23. snap — to speak sharply
  24. lash — an eyelash

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