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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: current · sharp · lean · game · lash · lie · club · hand

  1. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  2. It's one o'clock ________________.
  3. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  4. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  5. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  6. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  7. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  8. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  9. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  10. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  11. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  12. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  13. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  14. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  15. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  16. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  17. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  18. That was a fun ________________.
  19. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  20. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  21. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  22. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  23. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  24. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to bend
  2. sharp — exactly
  3. lean — to rest against
  4. current — electric
  5. hand — help
  6. sharp — clever
  7. lean — thin
  8. lash — an eyelash
  9. hand — part of the body
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. club — a group
  12. club — for dancing
  13. club — for golf
  14. current — happening now
  15. lash — to lash out
  16. game — wild animals
  17. lie — to recline
  18. game — a match
  19. sharp — with an edge
  20. game — a kind of play
  21. current — of water
  22. lash — a whip stroke
  23. hand — in cards
  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