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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: fall · lean · calf · current · cue · ball · mug · lash

  1. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  2. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  3. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  4. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  5. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  6. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  7. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  8. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  9. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  10. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  11. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  12. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  13. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  14. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  15. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  16. Where did you ________________ them?
  17. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  18. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  19. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  20. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  21. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  22. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  23. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  24. The King held a masked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to rest against
  2. cue — a hint
  3. current — electric
  4. fall — the season
  5. ball — a great time
  6. lash — to lash out
  7. fall — to drop
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. mug — a face
  10. lean — to bend
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. current — happening now
  13. mug — a cup
  14. lash — an eyelash
  15. ball — a round shape
  16. mug — to rob
  17. lash — a whip stroke
  18. cue — a signal
  19. calf — of the leg
  20. current — of water
  21. cue — for pool
  22. fall — to drop
  23. lean — thin
  24. ball — a dance

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