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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 120 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: key · current · wave · lash · tear · fan · squash · bat

  1. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  2. This piece is in a major ________________.
  3. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  4. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  5. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  6. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  7. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  8. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  9. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  10. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  11. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  12. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  13. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  14. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  15. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  16. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  17. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  18. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  19. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  20. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  21. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  22. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  23. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  24. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — a sudden rise
  2. key — in music
  3. bat — the animal
  4. current — electric
  5. squash — the sport
  6. bat — for baseball
  7. tear — to rip
  8. current — of water
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. lash — a whip stroke
  11. squash — the vegetable
  12. bat — in an idiom
  13. tear — from crying
  14. squash — to crush
  15. current — happening now
  16. fan — to cool the air
  17. key — for a lock
  18. wave — with your hand
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. lash — an eyelash
  21. wave — of the sea
  22. tear — from crying
  23. key — the most important part
  24. lash — to lash out

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