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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 124 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. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  2. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  3. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  4. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  5. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  6. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  7. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  8. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  9. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  10. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  11. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  12. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  13. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  14. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  15. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  16. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  17. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  18. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  19. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  20. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  21. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  22. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  23. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  24. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. current — of water
  2. wake — before a funeral
  3. wake — a trail
  4. degree — from a university
  5. deal — to handle
  6. rule — to rule out
  7. lash — an eyelash
  8. march — the month
  9. net — for catching
  10. lash — to lash out
  11. deal — an agreement
  12. march — the month
  13. rule — a law
  14. degree — an amount
  15. net — after costs
  16. degree — temperature
  17. net — in sport
  18. current — happening now
  19. march — music
  20. deal — a big deal
  21. wake — to stop sleeping
  22. lash — a whip stroke
  23. rule — government
  24. current — electric

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