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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. That must've been a ________________.
  2. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  3. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  4. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  5. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  6. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  7. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  8. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  9. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  10. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  11. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  12. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  13. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  14. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  15. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  16. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  17. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  18. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  19. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  20. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  21. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  22. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  23. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  24. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — a thrill
  2. current — happening now
  3. staff — employees
  4. staff — employees
  5. rush — to hurry
  6. staff — a stick
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. pound — to hit hard
  9. lash — to lash out
  10. lash — a whip stroke
  11. pound — for dogs
  12. stick — to attach or keep to
  13. race — the arms race
  14. current — electric
  15. race — humankind
  16. current — of water
  17. pound — a weight
  18. scale — in music
  19. rush — hurry
  20. scale — size or range
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. lash — an eyelash
  23. scale — for weighing
  24. race — a contest

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