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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: lash · cabinet · current · craft · straw · root · toast · hand

  1. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  2. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  3. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  4. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  5. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  6. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  7. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  8. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  9. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  10. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  11. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  12. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  13. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  14. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  15. What do you think of the new ________________?
  16. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  17. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  18. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  19. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  20. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  21. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  22. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  23. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  24. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — a drink to someone
  2. lash — to lash out
  3. root — of a plant
  4. craft — a handicraft
  5. lash — a whip stroke
  6. hand — in cards
  7. hand — help
  8. cabinet — a cupboard
  9. root — the cause
  10. craft — a skill
  11. lash — an eyelash
  12. toast — bread
  13. hand — part of the body
  14. current — of water
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. current — electric
  17. craft — boats
  18. straw — a straw man
  19. straw — dry grass
  20. straw — to clutch at straws
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. current — happening now
  23. toast — the most admired
  24. root — of a word

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