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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. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  2. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  3. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  4. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  5. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  6. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  7. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  8. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  9. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  10. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  11. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  12. Have you settled on a ________________?
  13. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  14. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  15. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  16. The ________________ took off on time.
  17. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  18. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  19. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  20. When will it ________________ you to start?
  21. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  22. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  23. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  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. suit — clothes
  2. present — there
  3. wind — moving air
  4. suit — in cards
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. plane — in geometry
  7. lash — a whip stroke
  8. plane — a tool
  9. wake — to stop sleeping
  10. current — electric
  11. date — the fruit
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. wake — a trail
  14. lash — to lash out
  15. wind — to turn a key
  16. plane — an aircraft
  17. wake — before a funeral
  18. current — of water
  19. lash — an eyelash
  20. suit — to fit
  21. present — a gift
  22. wind — moving air
  23. present — the time now
  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