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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 116 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.

Words on the sheet
468
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 · court · object · cell · current · wake · ground · bat

  1. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  2. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  3. He was locked up in a ________________.
  4. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  5. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  6. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  7. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  8. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  9. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  10. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  11. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  12. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  13. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  14. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  15. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  16. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  17. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  18. There's no middle ________________.
  19. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  20. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  21. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  22. The ball is in your ________________.
  23. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  24. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — the animal
  2. wake — a trail
  3. cell — in a prison
  4. ground — crushed
  5. current — of water
  6. cell — in biology
  7. object — an aim
  8. object — to protest
  9. wake — to stop sleeping
  10. lash — a whip stroke
  11. lash — to lash out
  12. court — of law
  13. lash — an eyelash
  14. wake — before a funeral
  15. cell — a phone
  16. bat — for baseball
  17. current — happening now
  18. ground — a position
  19. object — a thing
  20. court — of a king
  21. bat — in an idiom
  22. court — for sport
  23. ground — the earth
  24. current — electric

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