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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: kid · foot · current · rock · fork · pass · race · lash

  1. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  2. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  3. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  4. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  5. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  6. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  7. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  8. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  9. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  10. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  11. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  12. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  13. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  14. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  15. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  16. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  17. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  18. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  19. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  20. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  21. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  22. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  23. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  24. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — a permit
  2. foot — part of the body
  3. fork — to eat with
  4. current — of water
  5. current — happening now
  6. lash — to lash out
  7. pass — to spend time
  8. race — a contest
  9. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  10. race — humankind
  11. lash — an eyelash
  12. kid — child
  13. fork — a garden tool
  14. rock — music
  15. lash — a whip stroke
  16. current — electric
  17. rock — to move gently
  18. pass — to succeed
  19. rock — a stone
  20. foot — the bottom
  21. foot — a measure
  22. kid — to tease
  23. race — the arms race
  24. fork — in a road

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