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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. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  2. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  3. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  4. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  5. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  6. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  7. When will it ________________ you to start?
  8. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  9. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  10. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  11. Have you settled on a ________________?
  12. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  13. We're on a ________________ here.
  14. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  15. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  16. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  17. Did you ________________ the button?
  18. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  19. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  20. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  21. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  22. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  23. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  24. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. current — electric
  2. current — of water
  3. roll — a list
  4. lash — to lash out
  5. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  6. lash — a whip stroke
  7. suit — to fit
  8. current — happening now
  9. suit — clothes
  10. squash — the sport
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. lash — an eyelash
  13. roll — on a roll
  14. suit — in cards
  15. press — a publisher
  16. kid — child
  17. press — to push
  18. kid — to tease
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. date — the fruit
  21. squash — to crush
  22. press — newspapers
  23. squash — the vegetable
  24. roll — a cake

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