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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: bass · roll · current · court · patient · arm · spell · lash

  1. We're on a ________________ here.
  2. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  3. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  4. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  5. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  6. My father caught me by the ________________.
  7. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  8. How do you ________________ your surname?
  9. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  10. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  11. The ball is in your ________________.
  12. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  13. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  14. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  15. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  16. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  17. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  18. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  19. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  20. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  21. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  22. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  23. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  24. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — on a roll
  2. lash — an eyelash
  3. bass — low music
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. arm — a part of something
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. lash — a whip stroke
  8. spell — letters
  9. current — of water
  10. spell — a short time
  11. court — for sport
  12. bass — the fish
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. spell — magic
  15. roll — a cake
  16. lash — to lash out
  17. court — of a king
  18. patient — calm and waiting
  19. court — of law
  20. bass — the instrument
  21. current — happening now
  22. roll — a list
  23. current — electric
  24. arm — part of the body

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