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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. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  2. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  3. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  4. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  5. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  6. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  7. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  8. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  9. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  10. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  11. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  12. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  13. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  14. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  15. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  16. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  17. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  18. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  19. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  20. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  21. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  22. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  23. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  24. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. current — happening now
  3. race — humankind
  4. lash — to lash out
  5. current — of water
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. stick — to attach or keep to
  8. clip — for paper
  9. current — electric
  10. clip — a video
  11. lash — a whip stroke
  12. lash — an eyelash
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. race — the arms race
  16. clip — to cut
  17. ruler — a monarch
  18. snap — to speak sharply
  19. race — a contest
  20. snap — to snap out of it
  21. band — a ring
  22. snap — to click
  23. band — a music group
  24. band — a rubber band

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