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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.

Make a worksheet

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: mug · cue · season · lie · wind · last · current · lash

  1. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  2. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  3. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  4. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  5. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  6. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  7. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  8. False peace will not ________________.
  9. Where did you ________________ them?
  10. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  11. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  12. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  13. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  14. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  15. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  16. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  17. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  18. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  19. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  20. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  21. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  22. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  23. Did you ________________ the meat?
  24. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. last — final
  4. wind — moving air
  5. cue — a hint
  6. mug — a cup
  7. wind — to turn a key
  8. last — to go on
  9. mug — to rob
  10. cue — a signal
  11. lash — an eyelash
  12. mug — a face
  13. current — electric
  14. last — finally
  15. cue — for pool
  16. current — of water
  17. lie — to recline
  18. current — happening now
  19. season — of the year
  20. season — in sport
  21. lash — to lash out
  22. lash — a whip stroke
  23. season — to add flavour
  24. lie — an untruth

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