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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.

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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: fan · mark · spell · cabinet · bark · current · lash · club

  1. What do you think of the new ________________?
  2. How do you ________________ your surname?
  3. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  4. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  5. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  6. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  7. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  8. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  9. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  10. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  11. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  12. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  13. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  14. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  15. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  16. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  17. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  18. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  19. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  20. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  21. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  22. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  23. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  24. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. spell — letters
  3. lash — to lash out
  4. club — for golf
  5. bark — a dog's sound
  6. current — electric
  7. current — happening now
  8. mark — a trace
  9. mark — a grade
  10. current — of water
  11. lash — an eyelash
  12. fan — to cool the air
  13. bark — to shout
  14. spell — magic
  15. mark — to pay attention
  16. cabinet — a cupboard
  17. club — a group
  18. lash — a whip stroke
  19. bark — of a tree
  20. club — for dancing
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. spell — a short 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