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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 116 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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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: ball · lash · tear · pit · pound · current · dip · wound

  1. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  2. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  3. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  4. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  5. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  6. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  7. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  8. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  9. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  10. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  11. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  12. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  13. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  14. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  15. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  16. The King held a masked ________________.
  17. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  18. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  19. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  20. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  21. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  22. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  23. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  24. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.

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

Answer key

  1. current — electric
  2. pit — a hole
  3. dip — a sauce
  4. ball — a great time
  5. dip — to sink
  6. current — of water
  7. wound — an injury
  8. pit — in a race
  9. dip — to dunk
  10. tear — from crying
  11. ball — a round shape
  12. pound — a weight
  13. pound — to hit hard
  14. tear — from crying
  15. lash — a whip stroke
  16. ball — a dance
  17. lash — an eyelash
  18. lash — to lash out
  19. current — happening now
  20. wound — past of 'wind'
  21. pound — for dogs
  22. pit — a fruit stone
  23. wound — an injury
  24. tear — to rip

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