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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.

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: cell · current · wound · bat · hand · bore · key · lash

  1. He was locked up in a ________________.
  2. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  3. This piece is in a major ________________.
  4. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  5. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  6. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  7. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  8. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  9. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  10. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  11. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  12. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  13. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  14. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  15. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  16. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  17. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  18. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  19. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  20. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  21. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  22. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  23. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  24. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in a prison
  2. wound — past of 'wind'
  3. key — in music
  4. bat — in an idiom
  5. lash — an eyelash
  6. bore — to tire
  7. bat — for baseball
  8. bore — to drill
  9. lash — a whip stroke
  10. current — electric
  11. current — of water
  12. wound — an injury
  13. hand — part of the body
  14. lash — to lash out
  15. hand — in cards
  16. bat — the animal
  17. bore — gave birth
  18. current — happening now
  19. cell — a phone
  20. key — for a lock
  21. key — the most important part
  22. cell — in biology
  23. hand — help
  24. wound — an injury

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