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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: wound · nail · wave · chip · lash · roll · current · pit

  1. The ________________ went through the wall.
  2. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  3. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  4. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  5. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  6. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  7. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  8. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  9. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  10. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  11. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  12. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  13. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  14. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  15. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  16. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  17. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  18. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  19. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  20. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  21. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  22. We're on a ________________ here.
  23. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  24. Boris sat near the fire ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. roll — a cake
  3. lash — a whip stroke
  4. wound — an injury
  5. wave — with your hand
  6. pit — a fruit stone
  7. current — of water
  8. chip — to eat
  9. lash — an eyelash
  10. lash — to lash out
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. current — electric
  13. chip — in a computer
  14. roll — a list
  15. nail — on a finger
  16. wound — an injury
  17. pit — in a race
  18. current — happening now
  19. wave — a sudden rise
  20. wound — past of 'wind'
  21. chip — for betting
  22. roll — on a roll
  23. wave — of the sea
  24. pit — a hole

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