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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: lash · current · rush · face · pit · deal · stand · straw

  1. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  2. I can't ________________ this cold.
  3. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  4. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  5. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  6. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  7. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  8. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  9. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  10. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  11. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  12. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  13. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  14. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  15. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  16. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  17. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  18. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  19. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  20. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  21. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  22. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  23. That must've been a ________________.
  24. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — on your feet
  2. stand — to bear
  3. current — electric
  4. lash — a whip stroke
  5. face — to confront
  6. deal — to handle
  7. stand — for spectators
  8. face — part of the head
  9. face — to point toward
  10. straw — dry grass
  11. deal — an agreement
  12. deal — a big deal
  13. current — happening now
  14. pit — a hole
  15. straw — a straw man
  16. rush — hurry
  17. pit — a fruit stone
  18. lash — to lash out
  19. lash — an eyelash
  20. rush — to hurry
  21. straw — to clutch at straws
  22. current — of water
  23. rush — a thrill
  24. pit — in a race

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