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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: sharp · content · shower · lash · mark · spring · current · coach

  1. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  2. It's one o'clock ________________.
  3. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  4. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  5. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  6. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  7. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  8. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  9. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  10. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  11. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  12. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  13. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  14. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  15. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  16. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  17. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  18. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  19. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  20. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  21. Have you met the new head ________________?
  22. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  23. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  24. She got the top ________________ in the exam.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — to pay attention
  2. sharp — exactly
  3. content — videos and posts
  4. lash — a whip stroke
  5. current — happening now
  6. shower — rain
  7. sharp — clever
  8. lash — to lash out
  9. shower — to wash
  10. spring — the season
  11. coach — pulled by horses
  12. current — of water
  13. sharp — with an edge
  14. lash — an eyelash
  15. shower — a meteor shower
  16. mark — a trace
  17. content — the amount
  18. content — happy
  19. spring — a coil
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. spring — of water
  23. current — electric
  24. mark — a grade

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