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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. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  2. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  3. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  4. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  5. It's one o'clock ________________.
  6. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  7. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  8. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  9. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  10. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  11. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  12. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  13. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  14. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  15. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  16. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  17. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  18. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  19. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  20. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  21. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  22. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  23. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  24. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.

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

Answer key

  1. current — happening now
  2. current — electric
  3. lash — an eyelash
  4. current — of water
  5. sharp — exactly
  6. march — music
  7. wound — an injury
  8. cap — a lid
  9. wound — an injury
  10. sharp — with an edge
  11. can — a tin
  12. content — happy
  13. cap — of ice
  14. march — the month
  15. lash — a whip stroke
  16. can — a tin
  17. content — the amount
  18. march — the month
  19. sharp — clever
  20. content — videos and posts
  21. wound — past of 'wind'
  22. can — to be able to
  23. cap — a hat
  24. lash — to lash out

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