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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 120 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: pound · wave · tear · pass · current · lash · spring · present

  1. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  2. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  3. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  4. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  5. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  6. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  7. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  8. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  9. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  10. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  11. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  12. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  13. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  14. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  15. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  16. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  17. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  18. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  19. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  20. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  21. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  22. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  23. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  24. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — to hit hard
  2. spring — the season
  3. pass — a permit
  4. wave — a sudden rise
  5. wave — of the sea
  6. pound — a weight
  7. lash — a whip stroke
  8. tear — from crying
  9. present — there
  10. pass — to succeed
  11. current — of water
  12. pass — to spend time
  13. spring — of water
  14. lash — to lash out
  15. current — happening now
  16. present — the time now
  17. tear — to rip
  18. current — electric
  19. pound — for dogs
  20. wave — with your hand
  21. lash — an eyelash
  22. spring — a coil
  23. present — a gift
  24. tear — from crying

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