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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: current · cell · object · lash · toast · pass · straw · fan

  1. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  2. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  3. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  4. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  5. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  6. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  7. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  8. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  9. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  10. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  11. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  12. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  13. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  14. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  15. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  16. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  17. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  18. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  19. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  20. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  21. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  22. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  23. He was locked up in a ________________.
  24. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!

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

Answer key

  1. current — of water
  2. object — to protest
  3. cell — in biology
  4. current — electric
  5. lash — an eyelash
  6. current — happening now
  7. straw — a straw man
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. lash — to lash out
  10. pass — a permit
  11. straw — to clutch at straws
  12. fan — to cool the air
  13. object — an aim
  14. straw — dry grass
  15. toast — bread
  16. object — a thing
  17. toast — the most admired
  18. lash — a whip stroke
  19. pass — to spend time
  20. pass — to succeed
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. toast — a drink to someone
  23. cell — in a prison
  24. cell — a phone

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