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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 120 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: leaves · lash · bat · coach · track · staff · wound · current

  1. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  2. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  3. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  4. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  5. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  6. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  7. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  8. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  9. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  10. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  11. Have you met the new head ________________?
  12. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  13. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  14. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  15. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  16. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  17. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  18. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  19. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  20. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  21. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  22. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  23. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  24. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.

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

Answer key

  1. current — happening now
  2. wound — an injury
  3. bat — the animal
  4. bat — in an idiom
  5. track — a song
  6. current — of water
  7. lash — to lash out
  8. staff — employees
  9. leaves — to go away
  10. leaves — of a tree
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. leaves — lets stay
  13. bat — for baseball
  14. lash — an eyelash
  15. current — electric
  16. track — a path
  17. coach — pulled by horses
  18. track — to keep track
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. staff — a stick
  21. wound — an injury
  22. wound — past of 'wind'
  23. lash — a whip stroke
  24. staff — employees

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