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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. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  2. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  3. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  4. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  5. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  6. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  7. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  8. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  9. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  10. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  11. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  12. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  13. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  14. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  15. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  16. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  17. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  18. David sat on the ________________.
  19. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  20. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  21. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  22. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  23. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  24. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.

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

Answer key

  1. current — electric
  2. racket — a loud noise
  3. track — to keep track
  4. object — to protest
  5. kid — to tease
  6. lash — a whip stroke
  7. wake — to stop sleeping
  8. track — a path
  9. object — a thing
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. lash — an eyelash
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. track — a song
  14. object — an aim
  15. swing — in golf
  16. lash — to lash out
  17. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  18. swing — to play on
  19. kid — child
  20. swing — music
  21. current — of water
  22. current — happening now
  23. wake — a trail
  24. wake — before a funeral

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