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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 116 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 · lash · rash · mark · pop · bore · squash · mate

  1. Don't do anything ________________.
  2. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  3. We're almost out of ________________.
  4. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  5. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  6. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  7. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  8. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  9. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  10. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  11. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  12. Have you found your soul ________________?
  13. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  14. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  15. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  16. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  17. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  18. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  19. You don't need to ________________ round.
  20. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  21. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  22. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  23. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  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. rash — hasty
  2. pop — music
  3. pop — soda
  4. squash — the sport
  5. mark — a trace
  6. mate — to breed
  7. current — happening now
  8. lash — to lash out
  9. current — of water
  10. squash — the vegetable
  11. rash — on the skin
  12. mate — a partner
  13. bore — to tire
  14. squash — to crush
  15. mate — a friend
  16. bore — to drill
  17. current — electric
  18. mark — a grade
  19. pop — to visit
  20. lash — a whip stroke
  21. lash — an eyelash
  22. bore — gave birth
  23. mark — to pay attention
  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