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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 120 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 ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  2. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  3. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  4. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  5. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  6. That was ________________ to happen.
  7. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  8. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  9. The King held a masked ________________.
  10. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  11. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  12. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  13. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  14. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  15. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  16. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  17. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  18. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  19. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  20. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  21. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  22. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  23. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  24. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — to lash out
  2. ball — a great time
  3. lash — an eyelash
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. current — electric
  6. bound — certain
  7. band — a music group
  8. bank — for money
  9. ball — a dance
  10. fan — to cool the air
  11. current — happening now
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. current — of water
  14. bound — obliged
  15. bank — for money
  16. lean — to rest against
  17. band — a ring
  18. lash — a whip stroke
  19. band — a rubber band
  20. lean — to bend
  21. lean — thin
  22. ball — a round shape
  23. bank — of a river
  24. bound — tied together

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