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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: dip · wake · date · kid · lean · lash · current · firm

  1. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  2. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  3. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  4. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  5. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  6. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  7. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  8. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  9. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  10. Have you settled on a ________________?
  11. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  12. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  13. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  14. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  15. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  16. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  17. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  18. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  19. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  20. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  21. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  22. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  23. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  24. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to sink
  2. date — the fruit
  3. wake — a trail
  4. wake — to stop sleeping
  5. kid — to tease
  6. lean — to rest against
  7. lash — to lash out
  8. lash — an eyelash
  9. wake — before a funeral
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. firm — decided
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  14. dip — a sauce
  15. dip — to dunk
  16. current — happening now
  17. current — of water
  18. lean — thin
  19. lash — a whip stroke
  20. firm — steady
  21. kid — child
  22. lean — to bend
  23. firm — a company
  24. current — electric

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