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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. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  2. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  3. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  4. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  5. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  6. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  7. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  8. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  9. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  10. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  11. The tickets are free of ________________.
  12. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  13. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  14. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  15. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  16. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  17. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  18. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  19. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  20. I'll be taking the ________________.
  21. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  22. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  23. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  24. Where can I ________________ my mobile?

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

Answer key

  1. bat — the animal
  2. current — electric
  3. row — a quarrel
  4. current — happening now
  5. row — to paddle
  6. bat — in an idiom
  7. tube — a container
  8. can — a tin
  9. rest — a break
  10. lash — an eyelash
  11. charge — a price
  12. row — a line
  13. rest — what's left
  14. lash — to lash out
  15. can — a tin
  16. can — to be able to
  17. rest — what's left
  18. bat — for baseball
  19. current — of water
  20. tube — the underground
  21. charge — in control
  22. lash — a whip stroke
  23. tube — in a tire
  24. charge — electricity

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