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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: current · game · lash · wind · swing · nail · pass · squash

  1. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  2. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  3. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  4. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  5. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  6. That was a fun ________________.
  7. The ________________ went through the wall.
  8. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  9. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  10. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  11. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  12. David sat on the ________________.
  13. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  14. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  15. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  16. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  17. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  18. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  19. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  20. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  21. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  22. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  23. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  24. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — an eyelash
  2. game — a kind of play
  3. wind — moving air
  4. current — electric
  5. nail — on a finger
  6. game — a match
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. wind — to turn a key
  9. squash — the sport
  10. pass — to spend time
  11. lash — to lash out
  12. swing — to play on
  13. swing — music
  14. wind — moving air
  15. swing — in golf
  16. game — wild animals
  17. current — of water
  18. pass — a permit
  19. current — happening now
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. lash — a whip stroke
  22. pass — to succeed
  23. squash — the vegetable
  24. squash — to crush

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