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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: snap · current · wave · lash · nail · pass · capital · cold

  1. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  2. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  3. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  4. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  5. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  6. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  7. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  8. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  9. The water is too ________________.
  10. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  11. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  12. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  13. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  14. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  15. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  16. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  17. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  18. The ________________ went through the wall.
  19. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  20. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  21. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  22. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  23. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  24. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — a sudden rise
  2. snap — to snap out of it
  3. lash — an eyelash
  4. current — of water
  5. wave — with your hand
  6. pass — to succeed
  7. current — electric
  8. pass — a permit
  9. cold — not warm
  10. snap — to speak sharply
  11. pass — to spend time
  12. lash — a whip stroke
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. nail — on a finger
  15. cold — the Cold War
  16. lash — to lash out
  17. snap — to click
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. cold — an illness
  20. capital — a city
  21. capital — a big letter
  22. capital — money
  23. wave — of the sea
  24. current — happening now

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