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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: current · ground · chip · present · bulb · kick · stock · lash

  1. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  2. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  3. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  4. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  5. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  6. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  7. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  8. I've got to change the light ________________.
  9. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  10. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  11. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  12. The ________________ market has crashed.
  13. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  14. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  15. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  16. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  17. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  18. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  19. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  20. There's no middle ________________.
  21. The light ________________ burned out.
  22. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  23. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  24. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — a whip stroke
  2. bulb — of a plant
  3. present — a gift
  4. current — happening now
  5. kick — in football
  6. kick — a thrill
  7. current — electric
  8. bulb — for light
  9. ground — the earth
  10. chip — in a computer
  11. chip — for betting
  12. stock — shares
  13. stock — goods
  14. lash — an eyelash
  15. stock — a soup base
  16. chip — to eat
  17. lash — to lash out
  18. current — of water
  19. kick — with a leg
  20. ground — a position
  21. bulb — for light
  22. present — there
  23. ground — crushed
  24. present — the time now

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