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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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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: face · bank · date · lash · current · rash · roll · last

  1. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  2. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  3. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  4. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  5. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  6. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  7. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  8. Don't do anything ________________.
  9. Have you settled on a ________________?
  10. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  11. False peace will not ________________.
  12. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  13. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  14. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  15. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  16. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  17. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  18. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  19. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  20. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  21. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  22. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  23. We're on a ________________ here.
  24. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to point toward
  2. current — electric
  3. roll — a list
  4. rash — a series
  5. current — happening now
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. bank — of a river
  8. rash — hasty
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. face — part of the head
  11. last — to go on
  12. bank — for money
  13. lash — a whip stroke
  14. face — to confront
  15. current — of water
  16. last — final
  17. lash — to lash out
  18. date — the fruit
  19. lash — an eyelash
  20. last — finally
  21. roll — a cake
  22. rash — on the skin
  23. roll — on a roll
  24. bank — for money

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