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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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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: root · last · fall · lash · current · race · ball · saw

  1. She's very handy with a ________________.
  2. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  3. False peace will not ________________.
  4. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  5. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  6. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  7. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  8. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  9. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  10. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  11. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  12. He works in a ________________ mill.
  13. The King held a masked ________________.
  14. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  15. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  16. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  17. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  18. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  19. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  20. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  21. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  22. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  23. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  24. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. lash — to lash out
  3. last — to go on
  4. current — of water
  5. last — finally
  6. ball — a great time
  7. saw — past of 'see'
  8. root — the cause
  9. lash — an eyelash
  10. current — happening now
  11. current — electric
  12. saw — the tool
  13. ball — a dance
  14. fall — the season
  15. race — the arms race
  16. last — final
  17. root — of a plant
  18. fall — to drop
  19. ball — a round shape
  20. lash — a whip stroke
  21. fall — to drop
  22. race — a contest
  23. race — humankind
  24. root — of a word

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