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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.

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: mine · bass · lash · stick · mark · rule · current · cabinet

  1. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  2. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  3. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  4. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  5. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  6. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  7. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  8. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  9. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  10. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  11. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  12. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  13. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  14. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  15. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  16. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  17. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  18. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  19. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  20. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  21. What do you think of the new ________________?
  22. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  23. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  24. She got the top ________________ in the exam.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. mine — belonging to me
  3. current — electric
  4. rule — to rule out
  5. bass — the fish
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. mine — for digging
  8. cabinet — a cupboard
  9. current — of water
  10. rule — government
  11. bass — low music
  12. mine — an explosive
  13. lash — a whip stroke
  14. mark — a trace
  15. lash — to lash out
  16. lash — an eyelash
  17. rule — a law
  18. bass — the instrument
  19. current — happening now
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. stick — to attach or keep to
  23. mark — to pay attention
  24. mark — a grade

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