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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 120 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: temple · lash · current · suit · rest · kick · pound · straw

  1. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  2. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  3. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  4. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  5. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  6. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  7. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  8. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  9. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  10. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  11. When will it ________________ you to start?
  12. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  13. When was this ________________ built?
  14. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  15. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  16. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  17. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  18. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  19. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  20. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  21. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  22. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  23. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  24. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — a thrill
  2. pound — to hit hard
  3. lash — an eyelash
  4. lash — to lash out
  5. straw — dry grass
  6. kick — in football
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. current — electric
  9. suit — clothes
  10. rest — what's left
  11. suit — to fit
  12. lash — a whip stroke
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. straw — to clutch at straws
  15. kick — with a leg
  16. current — of water
  17. rest — a break
  18. pound — for dogs
  19. suit — in cards
  20. pound — a weight
  21. straw — a straw man
  22. rest — what's left
  23. temple — side of the head
  24. current — happening now

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