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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 116 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. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  2. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  3. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  4. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  5. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  6. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  7. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  8. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  9. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  10. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  11. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  12. I can't ________________ this cold.
  13. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  14. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  15. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  16. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  17. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  18. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  19. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  20. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  21. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  22. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  23. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  24. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — to lash out
  2. lash — a whip stroke
  3. club — for golf
  4. stand — for spectators
  5. stick — to attach or keep to
  6. rest — what's left
  7. can — to be able to
  8. stand — on your feet
  9. can — a tin
  10. field — farmland
  11. club — for dancing
  12. stand — to bear
  13. club — a group
  14. lash — an eyelash
  15. rest — a break
  16. can — a tin
  17. current — of water
  18. current — electric
  19. current — happening now
  20. field — a subject
  21. field — for sport
  22. rest — what's left
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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