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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 pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  2. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  3. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  4. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  5. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  6. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  7. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  8. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  9. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  10. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  11. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  12. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  13. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  14. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  15. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  16. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  17. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  18. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  19. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  20. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  21. That was a fun ________________.
  22. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  23. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  24. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. game — wild animals
  2. lash — to lash out
  3. lash — an eyelash
  4. game — a kind of play
  5. calf — of the leg
  6. rock — music
  7. trunk — of a tree
  8. lash — a whip stroke
  9. race — a contest
  10. rock — to move gently
  11. race — the arms race
  12. pitch — completely
  13. current — of water
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. current — happening now
  16. trunk — of an elephant
  17. trunk — of a car
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. pitch — a sports field
  20. race — humankind
  21. game — a match
  22. pitch — a sales talk
  23. rock — a stone
  24. current — electric

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