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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: rule · bay · mug · current · fall · lash · pound · season

  1. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  2. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  3. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  4. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  5. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  6. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  7. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  8. Where did you ________________ them?
  9. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  10. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  11. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  12. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  13. Did you ________________ the meat?
  14. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  15. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  16. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  17. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  18. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  19. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  20. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  21. My mare is ________________ in color.
  22. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  23. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  24. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?

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

Answer key

  1. current — electric
  2. rule — to rule out
  3. fall — to drop
  4. current — of water
  5. mug — a cup
  6. pound — to hit hard
  7. pound — a weight
  8. mug — to rob
  9. lash — to lash out
  10. rule — a law
  11. bay — to keep at bay
  12. mug — a face
  13. season — to add flavour
  14. season — of the year
  15. lash — an eyelash
  16. season — in sport
  17. current — happening now
  18. fall — the season
  19. pound — for dogs
  20. lash — a whip stroke
  21. bay — a horse colour
  22. fall — to drop
  23. bay — a part of the sea
  24. rule — government

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