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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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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: band · perch · current · wake · mate · pound · lash · fork

  1. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  2. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  3. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  4. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  5. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  6. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  7. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  8. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  9. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  10. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  11. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  12. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  13. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  14. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  15. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  16. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  17. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  18. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  19. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  20. Have you found your soul ________________?
  21. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  22. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  23. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  24. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — a whip stroke
  2. current — of water
  3. fork — to eat with
  4. band — a rubber band
  5. wake — a trail
  6. current — electric
  7. pound — for dogs
  8. lash — to lash out
  9. pound — to hit hard
  10. fork — in a road
  11. mate — to breed
  12. lash — an eyelash
  13. pound — a weight
  14. mate — a friend
  15. current — happening now
  16. fork — a garden tool
  17. band — a music group
  18. wake — before a funeral
  19. wake — to stop sleeping
  20. mate — a partner
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. perch — the fish
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. band — a ring

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