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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. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  2. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  3. My mare is ________________ in color.
  4. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  5. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  6. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  7. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  8. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  9. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  10. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  11. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  12. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  13. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  14. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  15. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  16. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  17. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  18. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  19. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  20. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  21. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  22. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  23. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  24. The players ran onto the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. current — of water
  2. pass — to succeed
  3. bay — a horse colour
  4. mine — an explosive
  5. pitch — completely
  6. lash — a whip stroke
  7. vault — an arched ceiling
  8. capital — money
  9. pass — to spend time
  10. vault — a safe
  11. mine — belonging to me
  12. mine — for digging
  13. bay — a part of the sea
  14. vault — in gymnastics
  15. current — happening now
  16. capital — a big letter
  17. bay — to keep at bay
  18. capital — a city
  19. pass — a permit
  20. current — electric
  21. lash — an eyelash
  22. lash — to lash out
  23. pitch — a sales talk
  24. pitch — a sports field

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