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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: staff · file · lash · racket · tear · rush · current · ground

  1. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  2. That must've been a ________________.
  3. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  4. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  5. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  6. There's no middle ________________.
  7. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  8. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  9. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  10. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  11. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  12. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  13. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  14. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  15. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  16. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  17. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  18. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  19. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  20. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  21. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  22. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  23. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  24. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — crushed
  2. rush — a thrill
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. file — a line of people
  5. current — happening now
  6. ground — a position
  7. file — a document
  8. ground — the earth
  9. racket — a loud noise
  10. file — a tool
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. staff — employees
  13. tear — from crying
  14. lash — an eyelash
  15. lash — to lash out
  16. staff — employees
  17. tear — from crying
  18. rush — to hurry
  19. current — of water
  20. staff — a stick
  21. lash — a whip stroke
  22. tear — to rip
  23. rush — hurry
  24. current — electric

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