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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: current · jam · lash · bat · spell · fork · charge · mine

  1. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  2. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  3. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  4. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  5. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  6. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  7. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  8. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  9. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  10. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  11. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  12. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  13. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  14. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  15. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  16. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  17. The tickets are free of ________________.
  18. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  19. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  20. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  21. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  22. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  23. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  24. How do you ________________ your surname?

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

Answer key

  1. lash — a whip stroke
  2. lash — an eyelash
  3. current — of water
  4. jam — in traffic
  5. jam — to spread on bread
  6. charge — in control
  7. spell — a short time
  8. fork — in a road
  9. mine — belonging to me
  10. fork — to eat with
  11. bat — the animal
  12. bat — in an idiom
  13. spell — magic
  14. current — happening now
  15. current — electric
  16. bat — for baseball
  17. charge — a price
  18. jam — a tight spot
  19. mine — an explosive
  20. fork — a garden tool
  21. lash — to lash out
  22. charge — electricity
  23. mine — for digging
  24. spell — letters

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