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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. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  3. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  4. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  5. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  6. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  7. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  8. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  9. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  10. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  11. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  12. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  13. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  14. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  15. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  16. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  17. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  18. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  19. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  20. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  21. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  22. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  23. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  24. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.

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

Answer key

  1. current — of water
  2. bass — the instrument
  3. bass — the fish
  4. current — happening now
  5. racket — a loud noise
  6. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  7. snap — to speak sharply
  8. kid — child
  9. bear — to put up with
  10. bass — low music
  11. wave — a sudden rise
  12. lash — an eyelash
  13. current — electric
  14. wave — of the sea
  15. lash — to lash out
  16. snap — to snap out of it
  17. snap — to click
  18. lash — a whip stroke
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. bear — the animal
  21. kid — to tease
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. bear — the animal
  24. wave — with your hand

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