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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: ground · deal · game · current · lash · rule · lie · cap

  1. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  2. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  3. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  4. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  5. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  6. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  7. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  8. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  9. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  10. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  11. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  12. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  13. That was a fun ________________.
  14. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  15. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  16. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  17. There's no middle ________________.
  18. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  19. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  20. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  21. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  22. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  23. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  24. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.

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

Answer key

  1. current — electric
  2. rule — a law
  3. ground — crushed
  4. cap — of ice
  5. rule — government
  6. lie — to recline
  7. ground — the earth
  8. cap — a lid
  9. rule — to rule out
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. deal — an agreement
  12. lash — a whip stroke
  13. game — a match
  14. current — of water
  15. lash — to lash out
  16. game — wild animals
  17. ground — a position
  18. cap — a hat
  19. current — happening now
  20. deal — a big deal
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. deal — to handle
  23. lash — an eyelash
  24. game — a kind of play

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