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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. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  2. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  3. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  4. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  5. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  6. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  7. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  8. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  9. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  10. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  11. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  12. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  13. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  14. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  15. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  16. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  17. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  18. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  19. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  20. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  21. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  22. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  23. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  24. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — before a funeral
  2. current — happening now
  3. mouse — for a computer
  4. current — of water
  5. stick — to attach or keep to
  6. lash — a whip stroke
  7. ruler — a monarch
  8. lash — an eyelash
  9. drill — the tool
  10. drill — a practice
  11. wake — to stop sleeping
  12. track — a song
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. track — to keep track
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. lash — to lash out
  17. track — a path
  18. wake — a trail
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. current — electric
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. drill — army training

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