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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. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  2. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  3. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  4. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  5. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  6. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  7. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  8. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  9. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  10. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  11. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  12. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  13. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  14. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  15. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  16. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  17. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  18. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  19. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  20. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  21. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  22. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  23. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  24. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.

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

Answer key

  1. current — happening now
  2. foot — a measure
  3. current — electric
  4. chip — for betting
  5. pound — for dogs
  6. fall — to drop
  7. lash — to lash out
  8. fine — high quality
  9. lash — a whip stroke
  10. chip — to eat
  11. straw — a straw man
  12. fall — to drop
  13. chip — in a computer
  14. lash — an eyelash
  15. fall — the season
  16. straw — to clutch at straws
  17. pound — to hit hard
  18. current — of water
  19. foot — part of the body
  20. fine — all right
  21. pound — a weight
  22. foot — the bottom
  23. straw — dry grass
  24. fine — a penalty

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