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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: arm · current · lash · deal · date · snap · bowl · object

  1. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  2. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  3. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  4. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  5. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  6. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  7. Have you settled on a ________________?
  8. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  9. My father caught me by the ________________.
  10. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  11. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  12. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  13. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  14. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  15. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  16. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  17. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  18. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  19. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  20. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  21. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  22. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  23. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  24. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. deal — to handle
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. snap — to speak sharply
  4. lash — an eyelash
  5. object — to protest
  6. snap — to click
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. date — the fruit
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. bowl — a dish
  11. current — electric
  12. object — an aim
  13. bowl — to roll
  14. snap — to snap out of it
  15. lash — to lash out
  16. deal — a big deal
  17. object — a thing
  18. current — of water
  19. deal — an agreement
  20. lash — a whip stroke
  21. bowl — a football final
  22. arm — a part of something
  23. current — happening now
  24. date — on the calendar

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