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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 · bat · rush · calf · wind · rest · current · rash

  1. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  2. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  3. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  4. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  5. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  6. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  7. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  8. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  9. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  10. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  11. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  12. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  13. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  14. Don't do anything ________________.
  15. That must've been a ________________.
  16. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  17. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  18. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  19. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  20. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  21. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  22. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  23. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  24. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.

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

Answer key

  1. current — happening now
  2. rush — hurry
  3. rash — on the skin
  4. lash — to lash out
  5. rest — what's left
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. bat — in an idiom
  8. calf — of the leg
  9. rest — a break
  10. current — of water
  11. rest — what's left
  12. bat — the animal
  13. current — electric
  14. rash — hasty
  15. rush — a thrill
  16. lash — an eyelash
  17. wind — to turn a key
  18. wind — moving air
  19. rush — to hurry
  20. bat — for baseball
  21. wind — moving air
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. lash — a whip stroke
  24. rash — a series

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