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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. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  3. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  4. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  5. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  6. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  7. What do you think of the new ________________?
  8. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  9. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  10. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  11. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  12. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  13. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  14. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  15. Have you settled on a ________________?
  16. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  17. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  18. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  19. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  20. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  21. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  22. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  23. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  24. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.

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

Answer key

  1. current — happening now
  2. current — of water
  3. current — electric
  4. hand — in cards
  5. hand — part of the body
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. lie — to recline
  9. file — a tool
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. lash — an eyelash
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. pitch — a sports field
  14. file — a line of people
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. lash — a whip stroke
  17. hand — help
  18. pitch — a sales talk
  19. lash — to lash out
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. cabinet — a cupboard
  22. pitch — completely
  23. date — the fruit
  24. file — a document

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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