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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: foot · nail · last · lash · tear · band · sharp · current

  1. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  2. False peace will not ________________.
  3. It's one o'clock ________________.
  4. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  5. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  6. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  7. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  8. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  9. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  10. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  11. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  12. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  13. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  14. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  15. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  16. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  17. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  18. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  19. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  20. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  21. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  22. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  23. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  24. The ________________ went through the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. current — of water
  2. last — to go on
  3. sharp — exactly
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. foot — a measure
  6. foot — part of the body
  7. tear — from crying
  8. nail — on a finger
  9. sharp — with an edge
  10. band — a ring
  11. lash — an eyelash
  12. last — finally
  13. lash — a whip stroke
  14. last — final
  15. tear — to rip
  16. sharp — clever
  17. tear — from crying
  18. current — happening now
  19. foot — the bottom
  20. lash — to lash out
  21. current — electric
  22. band — a rubber band
  23. band — a music group
  24. nail — for a hammer

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