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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: dip · lash · fan · pit · current · chest · rush · arm

  1. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  2. My father caught me by the ________________.
  3. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  4. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  5. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  6. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  7. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  8. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  9. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  10. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  11. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  12. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  13. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  14. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  15. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  16. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  17. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  18. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  19. That must've been a ________________.
  20. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  21. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  22. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  23. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  24. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. current — electric
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. lash — to lash out
  4. dip — to dunk
  5. fan — to cool the air
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. lash — an eyelash
  8. chest — a box
  9. chest — of your body
  10. dip — a sauce
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. dip — to sink
  13. pit — in a race
  14. chest — of your body
  15. rush — to hurry
  16. current — of water
  17. lash — a whip stroke
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. rush — a thrill
  20. pit — a hole
  21. rush — hurry
  22. current — happening now
  23. arm — a part of something
  24. pit — a fruit stone

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