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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: pass · safe · lash · last · hand · game · roll · current

  1. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  2. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  3. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  4. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  5. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  6. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  7. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  8. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  9. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  10. We're on a ________________ here.
  11. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  12. False peace will not ________________.
  13. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  14. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  15. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  16. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  17. That was a fun ________________.
  18. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  19. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  20. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  21. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  22. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  23. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  24. Is it ________________ for us to be here?

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to succeed
  2. safe — a strongbox
  3. hand — help
  4. pass — to spend time
  5. hand — in cards
  6. lash — an eyelash
  7. current — happening now
  8. game — wild animals
  9. game — a kind of play
  10. roll — on a roll
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. last — to go on
  13. current — of water
  14. pass — a permit
  15. lash — a whip stroke
  16. current — electric
  17. game — a match
  18. roll — a list
  19. lash — to lash out
  20. last — finally
  21. roll — a cake
  22. last — final
  23. hand — part of the body
  24. safe — out of danger

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