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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. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  2. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  3. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  4. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  5. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  6. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  7. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  8. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  9. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  10. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  11. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  12. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  13. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  14. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  15. False peace will not ________________.
  16. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  17. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  18. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  19. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  20. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  21. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  22. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  23. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  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 — of water
  2. cap — a lid
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. shower — a meteor shower
  5. racket — a loud noise
  6. last — final
  7. lash — a whip stroke
  8. lash — an eyelash
  9. fall — the season
  10. shower — rain
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. cap — a hat
  13. current — electric
  14. fall — to drop
  15. last — to go on
  16. fall — to drop
  17. ruler — a monarch
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. shower — to wash
  21. current — happening now
  22. last — finally
  23. cap — of ice
  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