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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
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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: shower · lash · squash · charge · hide · current · kick · rock

  1. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  2. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  3. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  4. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  5. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  6. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  7. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  8. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  9. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  10. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  11. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  12. The tickets are free of ________________.
  13. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  14. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  15. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  16. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  17. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  18. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  19. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  20. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  21. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  22. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  23. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  24. I don't want to ________________ the boat.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — a meteor shower
  2. kick — a thrill
  3. kick — with a leg
  4. squash — the sport
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. hide — animal skin
  7. squash — to crush
  8. current — electric
  9. current — happening now
  10. rock — music
  11. lash — to lash out
  12. charge — a price
  13. current — of water
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. shower — to wash
  16. kick — in football
  17. charge — electricity
  18. lash — a whip stroke
  19. shower — rain
  20. charge — in control
  21. rock — a stone
  22. squash — the vegetable
  23. lash — an eyelash
  24. rock — to move gently

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