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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. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  2. Don't do anything ________________.
  3. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  4. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  5. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  6. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  7. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  8. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  9. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  10. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  11. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  12. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  13. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  14. I can't ________________ this cold.
  15. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  16. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  17. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  18. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  19. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  20. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  21. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  22. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  23. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  24. It's one o'clock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. current — happening now
  2. rash — hasty
  3. lash — an eyelash
  4. band — a ring
  5. rash — a series
  6. current — electric
  7. sharp — with an edge
  8. content — videos and posts
  9. sharp — clever
  10. band — a rubber band
  11. stand — for spectators
  12. lash — a whip stroke
  13. race — the arms race
  14. stand — to bear
  15. stand — on your feet
  16. rash — on the skin
  17. race — humankind
  18. content — happy
  19. current — of water
  20. band — a music group
  21. race — a contest
  22. lash — to lash out
  23. content — the amount
  24. sharp — exactly

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