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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. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  2. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  3. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  4. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  5. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  6. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  7. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  8. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  9. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  10. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  11. That was a fun ________________.
  12. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  13. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  14. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  15. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  16. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  17. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  18. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  19. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  20. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  21. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  22. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  23. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  24. This looks like a gunshot ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. game — wild animals
  2. bowl — a football final
  3. craft — boats
  4. wound — an injury
  5. rule — to rule out
  6. bowl — to roll
  7. rule — a law
  8. current — electric
  9. craft — a handicraft
  10. bowl — a dish
  11. game — a match
  12. craft — a skill
  13. current — of water
  14. rule — government
  15. current — happening now
  16. wound — past of 'wind'
  17. lash — to lash out
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. lash — a whip stroke
  20. fan — to cool the air
  21. game — a kind of play
  22. lash — an eyelash
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. wound — an injury

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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