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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: ball · current · nail · lean · lash · game · hand · pass

  1. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  2. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  3. The ________________ went through the wall.
  4. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  5. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  6. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  7. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  8. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  9. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  10. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  11. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  12. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  13. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  14. That was a fun ________________.
  15. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  16. The King held a masked ________________.
  17. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  18. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  19. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  20. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  21. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  22. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  23. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  24. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.

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

Answer key

  1. current — happening now
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. lean — thin
  5. lash — a whip stroke
  6. pass — a permit
  7. lean — to rest against
  8. current — electric
  9. hand — part of the body
  10. ball — a round shape
  11. pass — to spend time
  12. pass — to succeed
  13. lash — an eyelash
  14. game — a match
  15. lean — to bend
  16. ball — a dance
  17. hand — help
  18. hand — in cards
  19. game — a kind of play
  20. nail — on a finger
  21. current — of water
  22. lash — to lash out
  23. game — wild animals
  24. ball — a great time

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