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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: tear · current · foot · fork · lash · rest · cap · charge

  1. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  2. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  3. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  4. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  5. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  6. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  7. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  8. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  9. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  10. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  11. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  12. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  13. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  14. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  15. The tickets are free of ________________.
  16. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  17. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  18. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  19. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  20. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  21. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  22. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  23. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  24. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — a whip stroke
  2. tear — from crying
  3. foot — a measure
  4. current — of water
  5. lash — an eyelash
  6. cap — a lid
  7. charge — electricity
  8. rest — what's left
  9. tear — to rip
  10. rest — what's left
  11. charge — in control
  12. fork — a garden tool
  13. fork — in a road
  14. foot — part of the body
  15. charge — a price
  16. current — electric
  17. cap — of ice
  18. rest — a break
  19. foot — the bottom
  20. current — happening now
  21. fork — to eat with
  22. cap — a hat
  23. tear — from crying
  24. lash — to lash out

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