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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: date · current · court · spring · race · saw · lash · face

  1. He works in a ________________ mill.
  2. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  3. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  4. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  5. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  6. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  7. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  8. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  9. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  10. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  11. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  12. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  13. The ball is in your ________________.
  14. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  15. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  16. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  17. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  18. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  19. She's very handy with a ________________.
  20. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  21. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  22. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  23. Have you settled on a ________________?
  24. She had a strange look on her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. current — of water
  3. race — humankind
  4. date — the fruit
  5. spring — a coil
  6. court — of law
  7. face — to point toward
  8. court — of a king
  9. current — happening now
  10. race — the arms race
  11. saw — past of 'see'
  12. current — electric
  13. court — for sport
  14. lash — to lash out
  15. lash — an eyelash
  16. lash — a whip stroke
  17. race — a contest
  18. spring — of water
  19. saw — the tool
  20. face — to confront
  21. spring — the season
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. date — on the calendar
  24. face — part of the head

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