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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: track · bowl · season · current · lash · snap · pound · stand

  1. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  2. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  3. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  4. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  5. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  6. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  7. Did you ________________ the meat?
  8. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  9. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  10. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  11. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  12. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  13. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  14. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  15. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  16. I can't ________________ this cold.
  17. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  18. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  19. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  20. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  21. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  22. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  23. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  24. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to snap out of it
  2. snap — to click
  3. track — a song
  4. bowl — a dish
  5. current — happening now
  6. stand — for spectators
  7. season — to add flavour
  8. bowl — to roll
  9. lash — to lash out
  10. stand — on your feet
  11. season — of the year
  12. current — electric
  13. pound — for dogs
  14. season — in sport
  15. pound — a weight
  16. stand — to bear
  17. bowl — a football final
  18. current — of water
  19. snap — to speak sharply
  20. lash — a whip stroke
  21. track — to keep track
  22. track — a path
  23. lash — an eyelash
  24. pound — to hit hard

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