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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: squash · can · current · lash · kick · pass · rest · object

  1. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  2. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  3. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  4. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  5. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  6. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  7. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  8. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  9. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  10. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  11. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  12. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  13. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  14. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  15. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  16. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  17. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  18. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  19. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  20. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  21. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  22. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  23. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  24. ________________ you help me carry this box?

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

Answer key

  1. object — to protest
  2. squash — the sport
  3. current — of water
  4. rest — what's left
  5. lash — to lash out
  6. can — a tin
  7. squash — to crush
  8. pass — to spend time
  9. lash — an eyelash
  10. kick — in football
  11. pass — to succeed
  12. current — electric
  13. squash — the vegetable
  14. pass — a permit
  15. rest — what's left
  16. lash — a whip stroke
  17. rest — a break
  18. object — a thing
  19. can — a tin
  20. current — happening now
  21. object — an aim
  22. kick — a thrill
  23. kick — with a leg
  24. can — to be able to

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