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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.

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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: pass · fall · lash · current · rash · tube · lie · track

  1. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  2. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  3. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  4. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  5. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  6. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  7. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  8. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  9. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  10. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  11. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  12. I'll be taking the ________________.
  13. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  14. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  15. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  16. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  17. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  18. Don't do anything ________________.
  19. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  20. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  21. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  22. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  23. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  24. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.

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

Answer key

  1. current — happening now
  2. track — a song
  3. current — electric
  4. track — a path
  5. current — of water
  6. tube — in a tire
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. lash — to lash out
  9. pass — to spend time
  10. pass — a permit
  11. rash — on the skin
  12. tube — the underground
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. fall — to drop
  15. lash — an eyelash
  16. track — to keep track
  17. rash — a series
  18. rash — hasty
  19. lie — to recline
  20. fall — the season
  21. tube — a container
  22. fall — to drop
  23. lash — a whip stroke
  24. pass — to succeed

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