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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: land · current · racket · season · row · spell · rash · lie

  1. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  2. Don't do anything ________________.
  3. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  4. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  5. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  6. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  7. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  8. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  9. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  10. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  11. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  12. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  13. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  14. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  15. Did you ________________ the meat?
  16. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  17. When are we going to ________________?
  18. How do you ________________ your surname?
  19. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  20. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  21. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  22. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  23. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  24. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. racket — a loud noise
  2. rash — hasty
  3. spell — magic
  4. season — in sport
  5. current — electric
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. row — a line
  8. current — of water
  9. current — happening now
  10. season — of the year
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. spell — a short time
  13. land — ground
  14. rash — a series
  15. season — to add flavour
  16. row — to paddle
  17. land — to come down
  18. spell — letters
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. land — a country
  21. row — a quarrel
  22. lie — to recline
  23. rash — on the skin
  24. lie — an untruth

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