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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: file · calf · rash · stem · key · lash · spell · current

  1. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  2. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  3. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  4. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  5. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  6. Don't do anything ________________.
  7. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  8. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  9. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  10. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  11. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  12. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  13. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  14. This piece is in a major ________________.
  15. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  16. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  17. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  18. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  19. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  20. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  21. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  22. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  23. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  24. How do you ________________ your surname?

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

Answer key

  1. calf — of the leg
  2. lash — a whip stroke
  3. spell — magic
  4. rash — on the skin
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. rash — hasty
  7. key — for a lock
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. stem — of a plant
  10. lash — an eyelash
  11. file — a line of people
  12. stem — a stem cell
  13. file — a document
  14. key — in music
  15. rash — a series
  16. key — the most important part
  17. stem — to come from
  18. lash — to lash out
  19. spell — a short time
  20. file — a tool
  21. current — of water
  22. current — happening now
  23. current — electric
  24. spell — letters

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