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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: wound · current · toast · pitcher · ball · lash · jam · cold

  1. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  2. The water is too ________________.
  3. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  4. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  5. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  6. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  7. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  8. The King held a masked ________________.
  9. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  10. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  11. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  12. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  13. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  14. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  15. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  16. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  17. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  18. He is an ace ________________.
  19. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  20. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  21. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  22. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  23. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  24. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — an eyelash
  2. cold — not warm
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. jam — to spread on bread
  5. wound — past of 'wind'
  6. toast — the most admired
  7. lash — a whip stroke
  8. ball — a dance
  9. wound — an injury
  10. current — electric
  11. toast — bread
  12. jam — in traffic
  13. current — happening now
  14. ball — a great time
  15. current — of water
  16. cold — the Cold War
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. pitcher — in baseball
  19. lash — to lash out
  20. cold — an illness
  21. jam — a tight spot
  22. ball — a round shape
  23. toast — a drink to someone
  24. wound — an injury

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