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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. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  2. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  3. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  4. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  5. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  6. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  7. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  8. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  9. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  10. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  11. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  12. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  13. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  14. I'll be taking the ________________.
  15. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  16. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  17. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  18. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  19. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  20. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  21. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  22. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  23. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  24. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. rock — a stone
  3. current — happening now
  4. lash — to lash out
  5. rest — what's left
  6. wave — a sudden rise
  7. tube — in a tire
  8. lash — a whip stroke
  9. current — electric
  10. wave — with your hand
  11. straw — dry grass
  12. current — of water
  13. rock — music
  14. tube — the underground
  15. straw — a straw man
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. wave — of the sea
  18. rest — a break
  19. lash — an eyelash
  20. rock — to move gently
  21. ruler — a monarch
  22. straw — to clutch at straws
  23. tube — a container
  24. ruler — for measuring

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