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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. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  2. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  3. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  4. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  5. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  6. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  7. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  8. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  9. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  10. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  11. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  12. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  13. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  14. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  15. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  16. It's one o'clock ________________.
  17. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  18. He was locked up in a ________________.
  19. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  20. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  21. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  22. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  23. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  24. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — a break
  2. current — electric
  3. mouse — for a computer
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. cell — a phone
  6. straw — to clutch at straws
  7. straw — a straw man
  8. lash — to lash out
  9. current — of water
  10. firm — decided
  11. sharp — clever
  12. cell — in biology
  13. rest — what's left
  14. lash — a whip stroke
  15. straw — dry grass
  16. sharp — exactly
  17. sharp — with an edge
  18. cell — in a prison
  19. firm — steady
  20. rest — what's left
  21. current — happening now
  22. lash — an eyelash
  23. firm — a company
  24. mouse — the animal

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