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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: foot · chip · plane · straw · calf · current · stick · lash

  1. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  2. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  3. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  4. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  5. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  6. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  7. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  8. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  9. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  10. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  11. The ________________ took off on time.
  12. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  13. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  14. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  15. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  16. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  17. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  18. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  19. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  20. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  21. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  22. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  23. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  24. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — part of the body
  2. chip — in a computer
  3. current — of water
  4. straw — dry grass
  5. current — electric
  6. plane — a tool
  7. foot — the bottom
  8. chip — for betting
  9. lash — a whip stroke
  10. foot — a measure
  11. plane — an aircraft
  12. current — happening now
  13. lash — an eyelash
  14. straw — to clutch at straws
  15. plane — in geometry
  16. straw — a straw man
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. calf — of the leg
  19. stick — to attach or keep to
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. chip — to eat
  23. lash — to lash out
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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