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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: staff · fall · current · swing · rush · lash · plane · track

  1. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  2. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  3. David sat on the ________________.
  4. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  5. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  6. The ________________ took off on time.
  7. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  8. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  9. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  10. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  11. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  12. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  13. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  14. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  15. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  16. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  17. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  18. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  19. That must've been a ________________.
  20. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  21. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  22. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  23. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  24. The old man leaned on his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. current — happening now
  2. track — a path
  3. swing — to play on
  4. lash — an eyelash
  5. fall — the season
  6. plane — an aircraft
  7. staff — employees
  8. current — of water
  9. lash — a whip stroke
  10. track — to keep track
  11. fall — to drop
  12. track — a song
  13. swing — in golf
  14. staff — employees
  15. swing — music
  16. plane — in geometry
  17. rush — hurry
  18. rush — to hurry
  19. rush — a thrill
  20. fall — to drop
  21. current — electric
  22. lash — to lash out
  23. plane — a tool
  24. staff — a stick

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