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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: lash · current · saw · capital · wake · face · foot · degree

  1. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  2. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  3. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  4. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  5. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  6. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  7. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  8. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  9. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  10. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  11. He works in a ________________ mill.
  12. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  13. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  14. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  15. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  16. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  17. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  18. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  19. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  20. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  21. She's very handy with a ________________.
  22. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  23. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  24. The spa offers ________________ extensions.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — a trail
  2. current — of water
  3. saw — past of 'see'
  4. foot — part of the body
  5. face — part of the head
  6. capital — a city
  7. current — happening now
  8. wake — before a funeral
  9. foot — a measure
  10. lash — a whip stroke
  11. saw — the tool
  12. foot — the bottom
  13. wake — to stop sleeping
  14. degree — from a university
  15. degree — temperature
  16. face — to point toward
  17. current — electric
  18. capital — a big letter
  19. capital — money
  20. lash — to lash out
  21. saw — the tool
  22. degree — an amount
  23. face — to confront
  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