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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.

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: deal · racket · current · lash · bass · patient · mate · lie

  1. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  2. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  3. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  4. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  5. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  6. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  7. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  8. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  9. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  10. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  11. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  12. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  13. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  14. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  15. Have you found your soul ________________?
  16. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  17. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  18. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  19. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  20. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  21. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  22. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  23. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  24. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. current — happening now
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. current — of water
  5. deal — an agreement
  6. mate — a friend
  7. bass — the fish
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. lie — to recline
  10. lash — to lash out
  11. mate — to breed
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. lash — an eyelash
  15. mate — a partner
  16. lash — a whip stroke
  17. deal — a big deal
  18. patient — calm and waiting
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. bass — the instrument
  21. bass — low music
  22. deal — to handle
  23. racket — a loud noise
  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