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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: current · leaves · saw · kick · lash · staff · track · fine

  1. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  2. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  3. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  4. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  5. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  6. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  7. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  8. He works in a ________________ mill.
  9. She's very handy with a ________________.
  10. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  11. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  12. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  13. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  14. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  15. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  16. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  17. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  18. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  19. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  20. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  21. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  22. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  23. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  24. He keeps ________________ of his days.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — high quality
  2. track — a path
  3. lash — to lash out
  4. fine — all right
  5. leaves — to go away
  6. staff — a stick
  7. kick — a thrill
  8. saw — the tool
  9. saw — the tool
  10. fine — a penalty
  11. track — a song
  12. current — happening now
  13. staff — employees
  14. current — of water
  15. staff — employees
  16. leaves — of a tree
  17. kick — in football
  18. kick — with a leg
  19. lash — a whip stroke
  20. lash — an eyelash
  21. saw — past of 'see'
  22. current — electric
  23. leaves — lets stay
  24. track — to keep track

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