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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 116 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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: hide · mine · field · lash · mark · rest · current · row

  1. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  2. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  3. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  4. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  5. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  6. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  7. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  8. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  9. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  10. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  11. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  12. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  13. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  14. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  15. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  16. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  17. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  18. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  19. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  20. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  21. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  22. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  23. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  24. She's sitting on a gold ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — an eyelash
  2. rest — what's left
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. lash — a whip stroke
  5. row — a line
  6. rest — a break
  7. hide — animal skin
  8. current — of water
  9. current — electric
  10. field — a subject
  11. mark — a trace
  12. rest — what's left
  13. current — happening now
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. field — for sport
  16. row — a quarrel
  17. row — to paddle
  18. mark — to pay attention
  19. field — farmland
  20. mark — a grade
  21. mine — an explosive
  22. lash — to lash out
  23. mine — belonging to me
  24. mine — for digging

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