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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 · wound · lash · stick · current · cap · pit · club

  1. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  2. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  3. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  4. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  5. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  6. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  7. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  8. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  9. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  10. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  11. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  12. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  13. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  14. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  15. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  16. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  17. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  18. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  19. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  20. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  21. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  22. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  23. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  24. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a hole
  2. wound — an injury
  3. current — of water
  4. current — electric
  5. lash — an eyelash
  6. current — happening now
  7. stick — to attach or keep to
  8. cap — a lid
  9. pit — in a race
  10. lash — to lash out
  11. hide — animal skin
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. wound — an injury
  14. cap — of ice
  15. wound — past of 'wind'
  16. pit — a fruit stone
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. lash — a whip stroke
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. cap — a hat
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. club — for golf
  23. club — for dancing
  24. club — a group

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