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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: lash · bear · game · current · face · kid · rash · track

  1. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  2. Don't do anything ________________.
  3. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  4. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  5. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  6. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  7. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  8. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  9. That was a fun ________________.
  10. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  11. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  12. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  13. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  14. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  15. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  16. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  17. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  18. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  19. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  20. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  21. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  22. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  23. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  24. I seem to be developing a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — to lash out
  2. rash — hasty
  3. lash — an eyelash
  4. track — a path
  5. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  6. rash — a series
  7. kid — child
  8. bear — the animal
  9. game — a match
  10. game — wild animals
  11. lash — a whip stroke
  12. face — to point toward
  13. current — electric
  14. kid — to tease
  15. track — to keep track
  16. face — to confront
  17. current — of water
  18. bear — to put up with
  19. face — part of the head
  20. track — a song
  21. bear — the animal
  22. game — a kind of play
  23. current — happening now
  24. rash — on the skin

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