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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.

Make a worksheet

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 · current · staff · pop · bark · degree · lie · kid

  1. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  2. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  3. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  4. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  5. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  6. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  7. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  8. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  9. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  10. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  11. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  12. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  13. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  14. You don't need to ________________ round.
  15. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  16. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  17. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  18. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  19. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  20. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  21. We're almost out of ________________.
  22. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  23. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  24. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — a whip stroke
  2. degree — an amount
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. bark — to shout
  5. kid — to tease
  6. lash — to lash out
  7. current — of water
  8. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  9. degree — from a university
  10. current — electric
  11. pop — music
  12. bark — of a tree
  13. lash — an eyelash
  14. pop — to visit
  15. staff — a stick
  16. kid — child
  17. degree — temperature
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. bark — a dog's sound
  20. current — happening now
  21. pop — soda
  22. staff — employees
  23. staff — employees
  24. lie — to recline

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