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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: current · lie · fall · stand · kick · track · swing · lash

  1. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  2. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  3. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  4. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  5. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  6. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  7. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  8. David sat on the ________________.
  9. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  10. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  11. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  12. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  13. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  14. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  15. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  16. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  17. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  18. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  19. I can't ________________ this cold.
  20. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  21. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  22. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  23. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  24. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.

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

Answer key

  1. track — to keep track
  2. stand — on your feet
  3. lash — an eyelash
  4. swing — in golf
  5. lash — to lash out
  6. swing — music
  7. fall — the season
  8. swing — to play on
  9. stand — for spectators
  10. fall — to drop
  11. lie — to recline
  12. kick — a thrill
  13. kick — in football
  14. track — a path
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. lash — a whip stroke
  17. fall — to drop
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. stand — to bear
  20. kick — with a leg
  21. current — happening now
  22. current — of water
  23. current — electric
  24. track — a song

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