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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. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  2. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  3. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  4. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  5. The ________________ market has crashed.
  6. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  7. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  8. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  9. The tickets are free of ________________.
  10. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  11. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  12. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  13. When will it ________________ you to start?
  14. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  15. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  16. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  17. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  18. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  19. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  20. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  21. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  22. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  23. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  24. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. lash — to lash out
  2. clip — for paper
  3. suit — clothes
  4. band — a rubber band
  5. stock — shares
  6. clip — to cut
  7. current — electric
  8. shower — a meteor shower
  9. charge — a price
  10. band — a ring
  11. suit — in cards
  12. lash — a whip stroke
  13. suit — to fit
  14. lash — an eyelash
  15. stock — goods
  16. current — happening now
  17. current — of water
  18. stock — a soup base
  19. shower — rain
  20. charge — electricity
  21. band — a music group
  22. shower — to wash
  23. charge — in control
  24. clip — a video

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