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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: jam · current · spell · lash · fall · race · bound · bark

  1. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  2. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  3. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  4. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  5. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  6. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  7. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  8. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  9. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  10. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  11. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  12. How do you ________________ your surname?
  13. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  14. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  15. That was ________________ to happen.
  16. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  17. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  18. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  19. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  20. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  21. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  22. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  23. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  24. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — to spread on bread
  2. spell — magic
  3. race — the arms race
  4. bark — of a tree
  5. race — humankind
  6. race — a contest
  7. jam — a tight spot
  8. current — electric
  9. bound — tied together
  10. fall — the season
  11. lash — an eyelash
  12. spell — letters
  13. bark — a dog's sound
  14. fall — to drop
  15. bound — certain
  16. current — happening now
  17. bark — to shout
  18. jam — in traffic
  19. lash — to lash out
  20. fall — to drop
  21. bound — obliged
  22. spell — a short time
  23. current — of water
  24. lash — a whip stroke

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