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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: rash · wound · current · lash · mug · sharp · face · pound

  1. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  2. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  3. It's one o'clock ________________.
  4. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  5. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  6. Don't do anything ________________.
  7. Where did you ________________ them?
  8. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  9. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  10. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  11. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  12. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  13. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  14. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  15. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  16. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  17. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  18. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  19. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  20. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  21. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  22. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  23. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  24. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. lash — an eyelash
  3. sharp — exactly
  4. sharp — clever
  5. rash — on the skin
  6. rash — hasty
  7. mug — to rob
  8. lash — a whip stroke
  9. pound — to hit hard
  10. mug — a cup
  11. current — happening now
  12. face — to point toward
  13. wound — past of 'wind'
  14. current — electric
  15. lash — to lash out
  16. sharp — with an edge
  17. pound — for dogs
  18. pound — a weight
  19. current — of water
  20. mug — a face
  21. face — part of the head
  22. wound — an injury
  23. face — to confront
  24. rash — a series

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