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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. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  2. When are we going to ________________?
  3. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  4. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  5. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  6. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  7. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  8. The tickets are free of ________________.
  9. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  10. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  11. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  12. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  13. Where did you ________________ them?
  14. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  15. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  16. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  17. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  18. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  19. David sat on the ________________.
  20. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  21. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  22. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  23. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  24. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — a whip stroke
  2. land — to come down
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. swing — in golf
  5. lash — to lash out
  6. current — happening now
  7. charge — in control
  8. charge — a price
  9. lash — an eyelash
  10. mug — a face
  11. land — a country
  12. current — electric
  13. mug — to rob
  14. squash — the sport
  15. swing — music
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. charge — electricity
  18. squash — the vegetable
  19. swing — to play on
  20. perch — the fish
  21. current — of water
  22. mug — a cup
  23. land — ground
  24. squash — to crush

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