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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: lie · current · arm · staff · field · scale · jam · lash

  1. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  2. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  3. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  4. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  5. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  6. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  7. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  8. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  9. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  10. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  11. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  12. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  13. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  14. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  15. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  16. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  17. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  18. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  19. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  20. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  21. My father caught me by the ________________.
  22. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  23. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  24. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. lash — an eyelash
  3. staff — employees
  4. field — a subject
  5. arm — a part of something
  6. staff — employees
  7. scale — size or range
  8. jam — in traffic
  9. lie — to recline
  10. current — of water
  11. current — happening now
  12. current — electric
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. jam — a tight spot
  15. staff — a stick
  16. field — farmland
  17. field — for sport
  18. lash — a whip stroke
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. scale — for weighing
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. jam — to spread on bread
  23. lash — to lash out
  24. scale — in music

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