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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: bowl · net · pop · leaves · lash · rush · band · current

  1. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  2. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  3. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  4. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  5. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  6. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  7. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  8. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  9. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  10. We're almost out of ________________.
  11. That must've been a ________________.
  12. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  13. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  14. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  15. You don't need to ________________ round.
  16. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  17. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  18. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  19. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  20. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  21. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  22. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  23. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  24. The spa offers ________________ extensions.

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

Answer key

  1. current — of water
  2. rush — to hurry
  3. band — a ring
  4. leaves — lets stay
  5. current — happening now
  6. lash — to lash out
  7. leaves — of a tree
  8. bowl — a football final
  9. band — a music group
  10. pop — soda
  11. rush — a thrill
  12. bowl — to roll
  13. net — after costs
  14. pop — music
  15. pop — to visit
  16. current — electric
  17. rush — hurry
  18. bowl — a dish
  19. lash — a whip stroke
  20. net — for catching
  21. leaves — to go away
  22. band — a rubber band
  23. net — in sport
  24. lash — an eyelash

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