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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. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  2. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  3. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  4. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  5. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  6. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  7. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  8. It's one o'clock ________________.
  9. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  10. The tickets are free of ________________.
  11. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  12. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  13. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  14. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  15. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  16. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  17. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  18. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  19. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  20. When will it ________________ you to start?
  21. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  22. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  23. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  24. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — to lash out
  2. hand — in cards
  3. hand — part of the body
  4. sharp — with an edge
  5. current — electric
  6. content — the amount
  7. charge — electricity
  8. sharp — exactly
  9. march — the month
  10. charge — a price
  11. lash — a whip stroke
  12. march — music
  13. hand — help
  14. content — videos and posts
  15. suit — clothes
  16. march — the month
  17. lash — an eyelash
  18. current — of water
  19. sharp — clever
  20. suit — to fit
  21. charge — in control
  22. suit — in cards
  23. content — happy
  24. current — happening now

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