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

Word bank: current · lash · snap · race · rule · firm · row · pound

  1. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  2. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  3. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  4. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  5. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  6. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  7. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  8. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  9. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  10. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  11. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  12. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  13. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  14. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  15. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  16. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  17. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  18. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  19. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  20. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  21. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  22. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  23. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  24. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — to hit hard
  2. race — a contest
  3. snap — to snap out of it
  4. current — of water
  5. pound — for dogs
  6. current — electric
  7. lash — a whip stroke
  8. rule — to rule out
  9. lash — to lash out
  10. snap — to click
  11. row — to paddle
  12. race — the arms race
  13. pound — a weight
  14. snap — to speak sharply
  15. firm — steady
  16. current — happening now
  17. firm — a company
  18. row — a line
  19. row — a quarrel
  20. race — humankind
  21. lash — an eyelash
  22. rule — government
  23. rule — a law
  24. firm — decided

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