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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: hide · current · present · chest · fork · lash · stand · fall

  1. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  2. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  3. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  4. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  5. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  6. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  7. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  8. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  9. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  10. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  11. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  12. I can't ________________ this cold.
  13. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  14. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  15. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  16. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  17. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  18. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  19. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  20. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  21. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  22. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  23. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  24. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?

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

Answer key

  1. present — the time now
  2. lash — a whip stroke
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. current — electric
  5. current — of water
  6. stand — for spectators
  7. lash — an eyelash
  8. present — there
  9. current — happening now
  10. stand — on your feet
  11. fork — in a road
  12. stand — to bear
  13. fall — the season
  14. hide — animal skin
  15. fork — to eat with
  16. chest — a box
  17. fall — to drop
  18. fork — a garden tool
  19. chest — of your body
  20. present — a gift
  21. lash — to lash out
  22. chest — of your body
  23. fall — to drop
  24. hide — to keep secret

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