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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: dip · club · bass · kick · current · lash · tube · calf

  1. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  2. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  3. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  4. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  5. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  6. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  7. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  8. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  9. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  10. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  11. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  12. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  13. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  14. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  15. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  16. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  17. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  18. I'll be taking the ________________.
  19. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  20. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  21. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  22. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  23. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  24. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for golf
  2. current — happening now
  3. kick — a thrill
  4. kick — in football
  5. lash — to lash out
  6. dip — to sink
  7. tube — a container
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. club — for dancing
  10. bass — the fish
  11. bass — low music
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. club — a group
  14. current — electric
  15. lash — an eyelash
  16. kick — with a leg
  17. bass — the instrument
  18. tube — the underground
  19. tube — in a tire
  20. lash — a whip stroke
  21. current — of water
  22. calf — of the leg
  23. dip — a sauce
  24. dip — to dunk

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