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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: lash · drill · ball · sharp · stem · perch · current · present

  1. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  2. It's one o'clock ________________.
  3. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  4. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  5. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  6. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  7. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  8. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  9. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  10. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  11. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  12. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  13. The King held a masked ________________.
  14. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  15. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  16. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  17. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  18. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  19. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  20. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  21. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  22. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  23. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  24. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.

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

Answer key

  1. present — the time now
  2. sharp — exactly
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. drill — army training
  5. drill — a practice
  6. present — there
  7. perch — the fish
  8. lash — a whip stroke
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. stem — a stem cell
  11. current — electric
  12. current — happening now
  13. ball — a dance
  14. current — of water
  15. present — a gift
  16. stem — of a plant
  17. lash — an eyelash
  18. ball — a round shape
  19. sharp — clever
  20. lash — to lash out
  21. stem — to come from
  22. sharp — with an edge
  23. ball — a great time
  24. drill — the tool

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