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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: current · rush · present · mug · deal · straw · tear · lash

  1. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  2. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  3. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  4. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  5. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  6. That must've been a ________________.
  7. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  8. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  9. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  10. Where did you ________________ them?
  11. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  12. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  13. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  14. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  15. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  16. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  17. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  19. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  20. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  21. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  22. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  23. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  24. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.

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

Answer key

  1. current — happening now
  2. tear — from crying
  3. lash — a whip stroke
  4. mug — a cup
  5. current — of water
  6. rush — a thrill
  7. straw — dry grass
  8. deal — to handle
  9. present — there
  10. mug — to rob
  11. straw — a straw man
  12. present — the time now
  13. deal — an agreement
  14. lash — an eyelash
  15. tear — from crying
  16. rush — to hurry
  17. mug — a face
  18. rush — hurry
  19. straw — to clutch at straws
  20. current — electric
  21. present — a gift
  22. lash — to lash out
  23. deal — a big deal
  24. tear — to rip

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