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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: roll · swing · current · lash · ball · race · face · mug

  1. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  2. We're on a ________________ here.
  3. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  4. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  5. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  6. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  7. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  8. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  9. Where did you ________________ them?
  10. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  11. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  12. The King held a masked ________________.
  13. David sat on the ________________.
  14. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  15. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  16. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  17. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  18. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  19. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  20. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  21. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  22. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  23. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  24. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to point toward
  2. roll — on a roll
  3. roll — a cake
  4. race — a contest
  5. lash — a whip stroke
  6. current — electric
  7. lash — to lash out
  8. swing — in golf
  9. mug — to rob
  10. mug — a cup
  11. mug — a face
  12. ball — a dance
  13. swing — to play on
  14. face — to confront
  15. face — part of the head
  16. roll — a list
  17. ball — a round shape
  18. lash — an eyelash
  19. current — happening now
  20. ball — a great time
  21. current — of water
  22. race — humankind
  23. swing — music
  24. race — the arms race

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