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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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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: mine · ruler · kid · lash · present · current · roll · key

  1. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  2. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  3. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  4. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  5. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  6. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  7. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  8. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  9. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  10. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  11. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  12. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  13. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  14. This piece is in a major ________________.
  15. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  16. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  17. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  18. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  19. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  20. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  21. We're on a ________________ here.
  22. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  23. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  24. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — to lash out
  2. roll — a list
  3. lash — an eyelash
  4. present — a gift
  5. key — the most important part
  6. lash — a whip stroke
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. mine — for digging
  9. current — of water
  10. ruler — a monarch
  11. mine — belonging to me
  12. kid — to tease
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. key — in music
  15. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  16. current — happening now
  17. current — electric
  18. present — there
  19. key — for a lock
  20. roll — a cake
  21. roll — on a roll
  22. mine — an explosive
  23. kid — child
  24. present — the time now

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