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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: stand · lie · wound · straw · current · mine · capital · lash

  1. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  2. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  3. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  4. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  5. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  6. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  7. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  8. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  9. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  10. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  11. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  12. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  13. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  14. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  15. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  16. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  17. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  18. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  19. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  20. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  21. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  22. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  23. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  24. I can't ________________ this cold.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — a whip stroke
  2. current — happening now
  3. lie — to recline
  4. capital — a big letter
  5. current — of water
  6. mine — for digging
  7. straw — dry grass
  8. lash — an eyelash
  9. current — electric
  10. wound — past of 'wind'
  11. capital — a city
  12. wound — an injury
  13. wound — an injury
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. stand — for spectators
  16. mine — an explosive
  17. stand — on your feet
  18. mine — belonging to me
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. straw — to clutch at straws
  21. straw — a straw man
  22. lash — to lash out
  23. capital — money
  24. stand — to bear

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