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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: squash · current · row · nail · lash · ground · spell · patient

  1. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  2. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  3. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  4. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  5. The ________________ went through the wall.
  6. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  7. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  8. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  9. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  10. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  11. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  12. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  13. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  14. How do you ________________ your surname?
  15. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  16. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  17. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  18. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  19. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  20. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  21. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  22. There's no middle ________________.
  23. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  24. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — magic
  2. squash — the sport
  3. current — electric
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. squash — the vegetable
  7. squash — to crush
  8. current — of water
  9. lash — a whip stroke
  10. nail — on a finger
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. ground — crushed
  13. ground — the earth
  14. spell — letters
  15. row — to paddle
  16. current — happening now
  17. row — a quarrel
  18. lash — to lash out
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. lash — an eyelash
  21. patient — calm and waiting
  22. ground — a position
  23. row — a line
  24. spell — a short time

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