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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. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  2. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  3. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  4. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  5. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  6. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  7. He works in a ________________ mill.
  8. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  9. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  10. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  11. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  12. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  13. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  14. She's very handy with a ________________.
  15. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  16. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  17. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  18. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  19. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  20. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  21. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  22. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  23. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  24. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — past of 'wind'
  2. lash — an eyelash
  3. lash — a whip stroke
  4. wound — an injury
  5. fall — to drop
  6. row — a quarrel
  7. saw — the tool
  8. current — of water
  9. row — a line
  10. fall — the season
  11. row — to paddle
  12. current — electric
  13. wound — an injury
  14. saw — the tool
  15. rest — a break
  16. saw — past of 'see'
  17. current — happening now
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. mouse — for a computer
  20. lash — to lash out
  21. fall — to drop
  22. rest — what's left
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. rest — what's left

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