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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. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  2. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  3. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  4. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  5. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  6. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  7. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  8. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  9. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  10. It's one o'clock ________________.
  11. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  12. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  13. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  14. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  15. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  16. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  17. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  18. Have you met the new head ________________?
  19. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  20. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  21. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  22. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  23. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  24. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. content — the amount
  3. kick — with a leg
  4. wave — of the sea
  5. kick — in football
  6. wave — with your hand
  7. lash — an eyelash
  8. wave — a sudden rise
  9. sharp — clever
  10. sharp — exactly
  11. current — happening now
  12. lash — to lash out
  13. lash — a whip stroke
  14. current — electric
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. current — of water
  17. sharp — with an edge
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. content — videos and posts
  21. kick — a thrill
  22. content — happy
  23. coach — pulled by horses
  24. stick — to attach or keep to

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