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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 ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  2. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  3. We're on a ________________ here.
  4. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  5. I can't ________________ this cold.
  6. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  7. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  8. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  9. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  10. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  11. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  12. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  13. That was a fun ________________.
  14. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  15. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  16. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  17. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  18. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  19. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  20. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  21. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  22. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  23. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  24. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — to tease
  2. lash — a whip stroke
  3. roll — on a roll
  4. bear — to put up with
  5. stand — to bear
  6. current — happening now
  7. stand — for spectators
  8. bear — the animal
  9. leaves — lets stay
  10. current — of water
  11. kid — child
  12. bear — the animal
  13. game — a match
  14. roll — a cake
  15. lash — an eyelash
  16. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  17. leaves — to go away
  18. lash — to lash out
  19. game — wild animals
  20. game — a kind of play
  21. leaves — of a tree
  22. stand — on your feet
  23. current — electric
  24. roll — a list

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