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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: coach · face · vault · pit · nail · current · cold · lash

  1. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  2. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  3. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  4. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  5. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  6. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  7. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  8. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  9. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  10. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  11. Have you met the new head ________________?
  12. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  13. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  14. The water is too ________________.
  15. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  16. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  17. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  18. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  19. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  20. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  21. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  22. The ________________ went through the wall.
  23. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  24. The spa offers ________________ extensions.

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. vault — a safe
  4. nail — on a finger
  5. cold — the Cold War
  6. face — to point toward
  7. pit — a hole
  8. lash — a whip stroke
  9. cold — an illness
  10. pit — in a race
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. vault — an arched ceiling
  13. pit — a fruit stone
  14. cold — not warm
  15. current — electric
  16. vault — in gymnastics
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. lash — to lash out
  19. coach — pulled by horses
  20. face — part of the head
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. face — to confront
  24. lash — an eyelash

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