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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: mark · deal · lash · cold · calf · key · pass · current

  1. The water is too ________________.
  2. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  3. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  4. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  5. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  6. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  7. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  8. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  9. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  10. This piece is in a major ________________.
  11. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  12. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  13. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  14. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  15. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  16. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  17. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  18. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  19. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  20. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  21. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  22. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  23. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  24. Let us try to swim against the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cold — not warm
  2. pass — a permit
  3. deal — an agreement
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. mark — to pay attention
  6. cold — the Cold War
  7. cold — an illness
  8. pass — to spend time
  9. lash — to lash out
  10. key — in music
  11. key — for a lock
  12. deal — a big deal
  13. current — happening now
  14. calf — of the leg
  15. mark — a trace
  16. mark — a grade
  17. pass — to succeed
  18. lash — an eyelash
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. key — the most important part
  21. current — electric
  22. lash — a whip stroke
  23. deal — to handle
  24. current — of water

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