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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: wound · calf · deal · cue · current · toast · chest · lash

  1. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  2. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  3. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  4. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  5. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  6. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  7. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  8. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  9. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  10. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  11. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  12. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  13. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  14. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  15. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  16. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  17. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  18. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  19. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  20. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  21. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  22. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  23. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  24. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — to lash out
  2. toast — bread
  3. cue — a hint
  4. current — of water
  5. deal — a big deal
  6. wound — an injury
  7. current — electric
  8. lash — an eyelash
  9. cue — a signal
  10. deal — an agreement
  11. chest — a box
  12. toast — the most admired
  13. deal — to handle
  14. chest — of your body
  15. wound — past of 'wind'
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. cue — for pool
  18. wound — an injury
  19. calf — of the leg
  20. toast — a drink to someone
  21. current — happening now
  22. chest — of your body
  23. lash — a whip stroke
  24. calf — a young animal

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