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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: racket · current · trunk · band · kid · pop · lash · roll

  1. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  2. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  3. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  4. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  5. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  6. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  7. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  8. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  9. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  10. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  11. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  12. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  13. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  14. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  15. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  16. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  17. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  18. You don't need to ________________ round.
  19. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  20. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  21. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  22. We're on a ________________ here.
  23. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  24. We're almost out of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — a whip stroke
  2. current — happening now
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. kid — to tease
  5. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  6. current — electric
  7. current — of water
  8. racket — a loud noise
  9. pop — music
  10. band — a ring
  11. band — a music group
  12. trunk — of an elephant
  13. lash — to lash out
  14. roll — a cake
  15. band — a rubber band
  16. kid — child
  17. trunk — of a tree
  18. pop — to visit
  19. roll — a list
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. trunk — of a car
  22. roll — on a roll
  23. lash — an eyelash
  24. pop — soda

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