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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 120 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
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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: rest · file · current · last · race · hand · lash · spring

  1. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  2. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  3. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  4. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  5. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  6. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  7. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  8. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  9. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  10. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  11. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  12. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  13. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  14. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  15. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  16. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  17. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  18. False peace will not ________________.
  19. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  20. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  21. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  22. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  23. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  24. I would like to have a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. current — of water
  3. lash — a whip stroke
  4. race — the arms race
  5. file — a document
  6. hand — part of the body
  7. spring — of water
  8. rest — what's left
  9. last — final
  10. race — humankind
  11. file — a line of people
  12. current — electric
  13. hand — help
  14. spring — the season
  15. lash — to lash out
  16. race — a contest
  17. lash — an eyelash
  18. last — to go on
  19. file — a tool
  20. spring — a coil
  21. hand — in cards
  22. last — finally
  23. current — happening now
  24. rest — a break

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