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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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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: cell · jam · swing · spell · rest · current · race · lash

  1. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  2. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  3. David sat on the ________________.
  4. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  5. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  6. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  7. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  8. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  9. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  10. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  11. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  12. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  13. He was locked up in a ________________.
  14. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  15. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  16. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  17. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  18. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  19. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  20. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  21. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  22. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  23. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  24. How do you ________________ your surname?

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

Answer key

  1. current — happening now
  2. race — the arms race
  3. swing — to play on
  4. rest — a break
  5. swing — music
  6. lash — to lash out
  7. race — a contest
  8. jam — a tight spot
  9. swing — in golf
  10. jam — in traffic
  11. spell — a short time
  12. race — humankind
  13. cell — in a prison
  14. jam — to spread on bread
  15. current — of water
  16. cell — in biology
  17. lash — an eyelash
  18. current — electric
  19. rest — what's left
  20. spell — magic
  21. lash — a whip stroke
  22. cell — a phone
  23. rest — what's left
  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