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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. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  2. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  3. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  4. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  5. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  6. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  7. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  8. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  9. There's no middle ________________.
  10. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  11. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  12. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  13. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  14. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  15. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  16. I can't ________________ this cold.
  17. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  18. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  19. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  20. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  21. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  22. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  23. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  24. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — an eyelash
  2. current — of water
  3. cue — a signal
  4. bowl — a dish
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. cue — a hint
  7. ground — the earth
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. ground — a position
  10. ground — crushed
  11. straw — to clutch at straws
  12. lash — to lash out
  13. mouse — for a computer
  14. bowl — to roll
  15. lash — a whip stroke
  16. stand — to bear
  17. current — electric
  18. cue — for pool
  19. straw — dry grass
  20. stand — on your feet
  21. current — happening now
  22. straw — a straw man
  23. stand — for spectators
  24. bowl — a football final

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