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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: mark · roll · present · lash · wound · current · straw · jam

  1. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  2. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  3. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  4. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  5. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  6. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  7. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  8. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  9. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  10. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  11. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  12. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  13. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  14. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  15. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  16. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  17. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  18. We're on a ________________ here.
  19. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  20. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  21. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  22. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  23. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  24. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?

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

Answer key

  1. straw — a straw man
  2. straw — dry grass
  3. roll — a list
  4. current — of water
  5. roll — a cake
  6. lash — a whip stroke
  7. current — happening now
  8. lash — an eyelash
  9. wound — past of 'wind'
  10. jam — to spread on bread
  11. jam — a tight spot
  12. present — the time now
  13. straw — to clutch at straws
  14. mark — to pay attention
  15. present — there
  16. mark — a trace
  17. wound — an injury
  18. roll — on a roll
  19. wound — an injury
  20. jam — in traffic
  21. mark — a grade
  22. lash — to lash out
  23. current — electric
  24. present — a gift

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