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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. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  2. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  3. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  4. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  5. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  6. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  7. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  8. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  9. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  10. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  11. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  12. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  13. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  14. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  15. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  16. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  17. I'll be taking the ________________.
  18. The King held a masked ________________.
  19. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  20. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  21. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  22. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  23. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  24. Let us try to swim against the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — high quality
  2. tube — in a tire
  3. hand — in cards
  4. lean — to bend
  5. lash — a whip stroke
  6. fine — all right
  7. wake — to stop sleeping
  8. lean — thin
  9. wake — a trail
  10. wake — before a funeral
  11. ball — a great time
  12. hand — help
  13. lean — to rest against
  14. ball — a round shape
  15. tube — a container
  16. lash — to lash out
  17. tube — the underground
  18. ball — a dance
  19. lash — an eyelash
  20. fine — a penalty
  21. current — electric
  22. current — happening now
  23. hand — part of the body
  24. current — of water

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