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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: shower · lash · suit · ground · cap · degree · safe · current

  1. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  2. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  3. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  4. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  5. When will it ________________ you to start?
  6. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  7. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  8. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  9. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  10. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  11. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  12. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  13. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  14. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  15. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  16. There's no middle ________________.
  17. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  18. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  19. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  20. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  21. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  22. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  23. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  24. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. current — of water
  2. lash — a whip stroke
  3. cap — a hat
  4. cap — a lid
  5. suit — to fit
  6. degree — an amount
  7. current — happening now
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. degree — temperature
  10. shower — a meteor shower
  11. lash — an eyelash
  12. suit — clothes
  13. ground — crushed
  14. shower — rain
  15. degree — from a university
  16. ground — a position
  17. current — electric
  18. shower — to wash
  19. cap — of ice
  20. ground — the earth
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. lash — to lash out
  23. safe — a strongbox
  24. suit — in cards

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