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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: cap · rock · current · kid · pop · bowl · toast · lash

  1. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  2. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  3. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  4. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  5. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  6. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  7. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  8. You don't need to ________________ round.
  9. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  10. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  11. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  12. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  13. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  14. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  15. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  16. We're almost out of ________________.
  17. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  18. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  19. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  20. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  21. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  22. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  23. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  24. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — a drink to someone
  2. rock — to move gently
  3. cap — of ice
  4. bowl — a dish
  5. toast — the most admired
  6. kid — child
  7. lash — to lash out
  8. pop — to visit
  9. cap — a lid
  10. rock — music
  11. bowl — to roll
  12. rock — a stone
  13. current — of water
  14. kid — to tease
  15. pop — music
  16. pop — soda
  17. lash — a whip stroke
  18. current — electric
  19. bowl — a football final
  20. toast — bread
  21. cap — a hat
  22. current — happening now
  23. lash — an eyelash
  24. kid — young goat (kid gloves)

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