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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: bat · shower · game · current · lash · board · sharp · track

  1. It's one o'clock ________________.
  2. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  3. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  4. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  5. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  6. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  7. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  8. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  9. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  10. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  11. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  12. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  13. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  14. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  15. That was a fun ________________.
  16. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  17. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  18. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  19. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  20. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  21. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  22. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  23. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  24. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — exactly
  2. sharp — with an edge
  3. lash — an eyelash
  4. shower — rain
  5. bat — for baseball
  6. current — of water
  7. game — wild animals
  8. board — to get on
  9. lash — a whip stroke
  10. game — a kind of play
  11. shower — to wash
  12. current — happening now
  13. shower — a meteor shower
  14. sharp — clever
  15. game — a match
  16. track — a song
  17. track — a path
  18. board — a flat piece
  19. bat — in an idiom
  20. bat — the animal
  21. board — a committee
  22. track — to keep track
  23. current — electric
  24. lash — to lash out

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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