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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 124 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. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  2. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  3. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  4. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  5. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  6. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  7. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  8. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  9. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  10. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  11. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  12. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  13. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  14. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  15. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  16. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  17. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  18. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  19. Have you met the new head ________________?
  20. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  21. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  22. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  23. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  24. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.

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

Answer key

  1. object — a thing
  2. lash — a whip stroke
  3. can — to be able to
  4. can — a tin
  5. object — an aim
  6. current — of water
  7. craft — boats
  8. current — happening now
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. current — electric
  11. clip — a video
  12. craft — a handicraft
  13. coach — pulled by horses
  14. can — a tin
  15. mine — for digging
  16. craft — a skill
  17. clip — to cut
  18. clip — for paper
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. mine — an explosive
  21. lash — an eyelash
  22. mine — belonging to me
  23. object — to protest
  24. lash — to lash out

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