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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. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  2. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  3. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  4. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  5. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  6. When will it ________________ you to start?
  7. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  8. When are we going to ________________?
  9. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  10. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  11. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  12. The ________________ went through the wall.
  13. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  14. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  15. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  16. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  17. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  18. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  19. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  20. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  21. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  22. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  23. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  24. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — on a finger
  2. cap — a lid
  3. land — ground
  4. lash — a whip stroke
  5. current — happening now
  6. suit — to fit
  7. suit — in cards
  8. land — to come down
  9. land — a country
  10. cap — of ice
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. bark — a dog's sound
  14. dip — to sink
  15. dip — to dunk
  16. bark — of a tree
  17. current — of water
  18. suit — clothes
  19. dip — a sauce
  20. lash — an eyelash
  21. bark — to shout
  22. current — electric
  23. cap — a hat
  24. lash — to lash out

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