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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: pitcher · lie · band · lash · shower · wind · stick · current

  1. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  2. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  3. He is an ace ________________.
  4. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  5. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  6. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  7. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  8. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  9. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  10. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  11. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  12. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  13. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  14. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  15. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  16. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  17. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  18. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  19. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  20. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  21. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  22. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  23. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  24. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — to turn a key
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. pitcher — in baseball
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. lash — to lash out
  7. band — a music group
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. shower — rain
  10. wind — moving air
  11. shower — to wash
  12. shower — a meteor shower
  13. lash — a whip stroke
  14. current — electric
  15. band — a rubber band
  16. current — happening now
  17. stick — to attach or keep to
  18. lash — an eyelash
  19. lie — to recline
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. band — a ring
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. current — of water
  24. wind — moving air

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