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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 cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  2. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  3. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  4. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  5. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  6. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  7. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  8. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  9. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  10. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  11. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  12. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  13. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  14. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  15. When will it ________________ you to start?
  16. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  17. It's one o'clock ________________.
  18. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  19. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  20. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  21. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  22. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  23. When are we going to ________________?
  24. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — clothes
  2. suit — in cards
  3. sharp — clever
  4. kid — child
  5. lash — to lash out
  6. chair — a professorship
  7. chair — to sit on
  8. sharp — with an edge
  9. current — happening now
  10. land — a country
  11. kid — to tease
  12. lash — an eyelash
  13. lash — a whip stroke
  14. current — electric
  15. suit — to fit
  16. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  17. sharp — exactly
  18. present — a gift
  19. present — the time now
  20. current — of water
  21. land — ground
  22. present — there
  23. land — to come down
  24. chair — a leader

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