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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: lash · leaves · swing · current · hide · fall · mate · board

  1. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  2. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  3. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  4. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  5. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  6. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  7. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  8. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  9. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  10. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  11. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  12. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  13. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  14. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  15. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  16. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  17. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  18. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  19. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  20. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  21. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  22. David sat on the ________________.
  23. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  24. Have you found your soul ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. lash — an eyelash
  2. fall — to drop
  3. leaves — to go away
  4. leaves — lets stay
  5. current — electric
  6. mate — a friend
  7. swing — in golf
  8. board — a committee
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. fall — the season
  11. lash — to lash out
  12. current — happening now
  13. fall — to drop
  14. mate — to breed
  15. leaves — of a tree
  16. swing — music
  17. board — to get on
  18. board — a flat piece
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. current — of water
  21. hide — animal skin
  22. swing — to play on
  23. lash — a whip stroke
  24. mate — a partner

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