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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: race · lash · temple · cabinet · pop · row · pitcher · current

  1. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  2. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  3. He is an ace ________________.
  4. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  5. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  6. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  7. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  8. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  9. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  10. We're almost out of ________________.
  11. You don't need to ________________ round.
  12. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  13. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  14. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  15. When was this ________________ built?
  16. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  17. What do you think of the new ________________?
  18. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  19. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  20. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  21. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  22. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  23. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  24. Fill up this ________________ with water.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — to lash out
  2. current — electric
  3. pitcher — in baseball
  4. race — a contest
  5. temple — side of the head
  6. current — of water
  7. row — to paddle
  8. row — a quarrel
  9. cabinet — a cupboard
  10. pop — soda
  11. pop — to visit
  12. race — humankind
  13. pop — music
  14. row — a line
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. lash — a whip stroke
  19. current — happening now
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. lash — an eyelash
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. race — the arms race
  24. pitcher — a jug

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