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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. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  2. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  3. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  4. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  5. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  6. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  7. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  8. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  9. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  10. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  11. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  12. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  13. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  14. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  15. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  16. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  17. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  18. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  19. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  20. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  21. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  22. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  23. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  24. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — music
  2. current — electric
  3. fine — high quality
  4. fine — all right
  5. lash — a whip stroke
  6. rock — to move gently
  7. fine — a penalty
  8. deal — to handle
  9. rock — a stone
  10. deal — an agreement
  11. current — of water
  12. scale — for weighing
  13. lash — to lash out
  14. fall — to drop
  15. scale — size or range
  16. current — happening now
  17. deal — a big deal
  18. scale — in music
  19. object — an aim
  20. fall — to drop
  21. lash — an eyelash
  22. object — to protest
  23. fall — the season
  24. object — a thing

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