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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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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: foot · current · lash · pitch · toast · shower · wind · chair

  1. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  2. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  3. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  4. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  5. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  6. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  7. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  8. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  9. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  10. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  11. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  12. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  13. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  14. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  15. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  16. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  17. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  18. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  19. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  20. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  21. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  22. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  23. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  24. We took cover from the thunder ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. current — electric
  2. shower — to wash
  3. current — of water
  4. shower — a meteor shower
  5. foot — part of the body
  6. wind — moving air
  7. current — happening now
  8. lash — a whip stroke
  9. lash — to lash out
  10. toast — the most admired
  11. foot — the bottom
  12. pitch — completely
  13. lash — an eyelash
  14. toast — bread
  15. chair — a leader
  16. chair — a professorship
  17. pitch — a sales talk
  18. pitch — a sports field
  19. toast — a drink to someone
  20. foot — a measure
  21. chair — to sit on
  22. wind — to turn a key
  23. wind — moving air
  24. shower — rain

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