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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. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  3. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  4. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  5. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  6. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  7. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  8. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  9. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  10. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  11. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  12. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  13. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  14. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  15. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  16. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  17. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  18. The ________________ took off on time.
  19. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  20. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  21. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  22. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  23. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  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. current — of water
  2. plane — in geometry
  3. straw — dry grass
  4. lash — a whip stroke
  5. squash — to crush
  6. straw — to clutch at straws
  7. squash — the vegetable
  8. pitch — completely
  9. object — an aim
  10. squash — the sport
  11. lash — an eyelash
  12. bat — the animal
  13. pitch — a sports field
  14. pitch — a sales talk
  15. current — happening now
  16. plane — a tool
  17. object — to protest
  18. plane — an aircraft
  19. current — electric
  20. object — a thing
  21. bat — for baseball
  22. bat — in an idiom
  23. straw — a straw man
  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