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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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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 · kid · rock · bark · mate · lash · deal · toast

  1. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  2. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  3. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  4. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  5. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  6. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  7. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  8. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  9. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  10. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  11. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  12. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  13. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  14. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  15. Have you found your soul ________________?
  16. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  17. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  18. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  19. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  20. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  21. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  22. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  23. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  24. We were using a ________________ as a seat.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — a big deal
  2. current — electric
  3. rock — to move gently
  4. deal — an agreement
  5. lash — a whip stroke
  6. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  7. kid — to tease
  8. deal — to handle
  9. rock — music
  10. lash — to lash out
  11. mate — to breed
  12. current — of water
  13. toast — bread
  14. toast — the most admired
  15. mate — a partner
  16. bark — of a tree
  17. toast — a drink to someone
  18. current — happening now
  19. kid — child
  20. bark — a dog's sound
  21. mate — a friend
  22. lash — an eyelash
  23. bark — to shout
  24. rock — a stone

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