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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 120 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: chip · current · pit · deal · spring · bound · lean · lash

  1. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  2. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  3. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  4. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  5. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  6. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  7. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  8. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  9. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  10. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  11. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  12. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  13. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  14. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  15. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  16. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  17. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  18. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  19. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  20. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  21. That was ________________ to happen.
  22. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  23. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  24. The spa offers ________________ extensions.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — to lash out
  2. current — happening now
  3. bound — tied together
  4. deal — to handle
  5. deal — a big deal
  6. spring — of water
  7. lash — a whip stroke
  8. bound — obliged
  9. spring — a coil
  10. spring — the season
  11. chip — for betting
  12. current — electric
  13. pit — a hole
  14. pit — a fruit stone
  15. deal — an agreement
  16. chip — in a computer
  17. lean — to rest against
  18. pit — in a race
  19. lean — to bend
  20. lean — thin
  21. bound — certain
  22. current — of water
  23. chip — to eat
  24. lash — an eyelash

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