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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. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  2. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  3. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  4. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  5. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  6. That was ________________ to happen.
  7. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  8. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  9. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  10. I'll be taking the ________________.
  11. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  12. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  13. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  14. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  15. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  16. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  17. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  18. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  19. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  20. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  21. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  22. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  23. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  24. Let us try to swim against the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. current — electric
  2. lash — an eyelash
  3. rest — a break
  4. bound — obliged
  5. lash — to lash out
  6. bound — certain
  7. lash — a whip stroke
  8. rest — what's left
  9. wound — an injury
  10. tube — the underground
  11. club — for dancing
  12. tube — a container
  13. rest — what's left
  14. current — happening now
  15. bound — tied together
  16. tube — in a tire
  17. craft — a handicraft
  18. wound — an injury
  19. club — a group
  20. wound — past of 'wind'
  21. craft — a skill
  22. craft — boats
  23. club — for golf
  24. current — of water

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