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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: current · hand · stem · cabinet · season · face · racket · lash

  1. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  2. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  3. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  4. What do you think of the new ________________?
  5. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  6. Did you ________________ the meat?
  7. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  8. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  9. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  10. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  11. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  12. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  13. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  14. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  15. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  16. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  17. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  18. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  19. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  20. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  21. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  22. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  23. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  24. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. current — of water
  2. stem — to come from
  3. racket — a loud noise
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. stem — of a plant
  6. season — to add flavour
  7. hand — part of the body
  8. cabinet — a cupboard
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. face — part of the head
  11. lash — to lash out
  12. lash — an eyelash
  13. lash — a whip stroke
  14. hand — in cards
  15. current — electric
  16. hand — help
  17. season — of the year
  18. current — happening now
  19. stem — a stem cell
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. face — to confront
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. face — to point toward
  24. season — in sport

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