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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: bay · straw · current · ruler · shower · lash · wake · swing

  1. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  2. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  3. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  4. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  5. David sat on the ________________.
  6. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  7. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  8. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  9. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  10. My mare is ________________ in color.
  11. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  12. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  13. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  14. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  15. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  16. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  17. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  18. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  19. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  20. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  21. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  22. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  23. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  24. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — in golf
  2. wake — to stop sleeping
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. shower — rain
  5. swing — to play on
  6. straw — to clutch at straws
  7. lash — an eyelash
  8. current — of water
  9. bay — to keep at bay
  10. bay — a horse colour
  11. bay — a part of the sea
  12. ruler — a monarch
  13. straw — a straw man
  14. shower — a meteor shower
  15. lash — a whip stroke
  16. current — happening now
  17. swing — music
  18. lash — to lash out
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. straw — dry grass
  21. current — electric
  22. wake — a trail
  23. shower — to wash
  24. wake — before a funeral

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