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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: rule · date · rush · fall · current · cold · lash · racket

  1. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  2. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  3. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  4. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  5. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  6. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  7. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  8. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  9. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  10. That must've been a ________________.
  11. The water is too ________________.
  12. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  13. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  14. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  15. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  16. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  17. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  18. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  19. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  20. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  21. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  22. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  23. Have you settled on a ________________?
  24. Take your time. There's no ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. lash — an eyelash
  3. date — the fruit
  4. cold — the Cold War
  5. lash — a whip stroke
  6. rule — government
  7. current — of water
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. fall — to drop
  10. rush — a thrill
  11. cold — not warm
  12. current — happening now
  13. fall — to drop
  14. fall — the season
  15. rush — to hurry
  16. lash — to lash out
  17. racket — a loud noise
  18. rule — to rule out
  19. rule — a law
  20. current — electric
  21. cold — an illness
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. date — on the calendar
  24. rush — hurry

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