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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: club · stand · rock · lash · race · foot · calf · current

  1. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  2. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  3. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  4. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  5. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  6. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  7. I can't ________________ this cold.
  8. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  9. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  10. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  11. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  12. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  13. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  14. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  15. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  16. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  17. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  18. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  19. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  20. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  21. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  22. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  23. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  24. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — for spectators
  2. lash — an eyelash
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. club — for golf
  5. current — happening now
  6. lash — a whip stroke
  7. stand — to bear
  8. foot — part of the body
  9. calf — of the leg
  10. rock — a stone
  11. current — of water
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. club — for dancing
  14. race — humankind
  15. lash — to lash out
  16. race — the arms race
  17. club — a group
  18. rock — music
  19. rock — to move gently
  20. stand — on your feet
  21. foot — a measure
  22. race — a contest
  23. current — electric
  24. foot — the bottom

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