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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.

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: pit · staff · current · fan · lash · race · stem · lean

  1. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  2. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  3. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  4. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  5. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  6. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  7. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  8. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  9. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  10. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  11. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  12. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  13. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  14. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  15. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  16. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  17. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  18. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  19. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  20. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  21. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  22. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  23. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  24. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a hole
  2. fan — to cool the air
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. pit — a fruit stone
  5. current — electric
  6. lash — a whip stroke
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. race — a contest
  9. race — the arms race
  10. pit — in a race
  11. lean — thin
  12. race — humankind
  13. staff — employees
  14. stem — a stem cell
  15. staff — a stick
  16. current — happening now
  17. lash — an eyelash
  18. lean — to bend
  19. stem — of a plant
  20. staff — employees
  21. stem — to come from
  22. current — of water
  23. lean — to rest against
  24. lash — to lash out

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