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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: track · spell · current · cell · cold · lash · press · bore

  1. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  2. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  3. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  4. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  5. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  6. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  7. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  8. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  9. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  10. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  11. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  12. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  13. He was locked up in a ________________.
  14. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  15. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  16. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  17. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  18. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  19. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  20. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  21. How do you ________________ your surname?
  22. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  23. Did you ________________ the button?
  24. The water is too ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — to lash out
  2. cell — in biology
  3. cell — a phone
  4. bore — to tire
  5. press — newspapers
  6. current — electric
  7. lash — a whip stroke
  8. bore — gave birth
  9. track — a path
  10. press — a publisher
  11. spell — magic
  12. bore — to drill
  13. cell — in a prison
  14. current — of water
  15. track — to keep track
  16. cold — the Cold War
  17. lash — an eyelash
  18. current — happening now
  19. spell — a short time
  20. cold — an illness
  21. spell — letters
  22. track — a song
  23. press — to push
  24. cold — not warm

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