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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 120 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.

Make a worksheet

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: field · lash · mark · hide · last · wind · current · game

  1. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  2. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  3. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  4. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  5. False peace will not ________________.
  6. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  7. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  8. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  9. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  10. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  11. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  12. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  13. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  14. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  15. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  16. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  17. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  18. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  19. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  20. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  21. That was a fun ________________.
  22. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  23. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  24. We have nothing to ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. current — electric
  2. field — a subject
  3. hide — animal skin
  4. lash — an eyelash
  5. last — to go on
  6. wind — moving air
  7. field — for sport
  8. lash — to lash out
  9. mark — to pay attention
  10. last — final
  11. field — farmland
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. current — happening now
  14. wind — moving air
  15. last — finally
  16. wind — to turn a key
  17. current — of water
  18. game — wild animals
  19. mark — a trace
  20. game — a kind of play
  21. game — a match
  22. mark — a grade
  23. lash — a whip stroke
  24. hide — to keep secret

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