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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. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  2. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  3. David sat on the ________________.
  4. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  5. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  6. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  7. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  8. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  9. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  10. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  11. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  12. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  13. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  14. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  15. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  16. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  17. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  18. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  19. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  20. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  21. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  22. The ________________ took off on time.
  23. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  24. He had ________________ pain while walking.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — a whip stroke
  2. lash — to lash out
  3. swing — to play on
  4. chair — a leader
  5. current — electric
  6. mark — a grade
  7. bowl — to roll
  8. lash — an eyelash
  9. swing — music
  10. bowl — a dish
  11. swing — in golf
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. chair — a professorship
  14. plane — in geometry
  15. mark — to pay attention
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. plane — a tool
  18. chair — to sit on
  19. current — happening now
  20. current — of water
  21. bowl — a football final
  22. plane — an aircraft
  23. mark — a trace
  24. calf — of the leg

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