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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: current · toast · lash · band · bowl · mug · fine · cold

  1. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  2. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  3. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  4. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  5. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  6. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  7. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  8. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  9. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  10. The water is too ________________.
  11. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  12. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  13. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  14. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  15. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  16. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  17. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  18. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  19. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  20. Where did you ________________ them?
  21. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  22. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  23. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  24. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — a whip stroke
  2. toast — bread
  3. current — of water
  4. toast — the most admired
  5. lash — an eyelash
  6. fine — high quality
  7. bowl — a football final
  8. band — a music group
  9. mug — a face
  10. cold — not warm
  11. current — electric
  12. mug — a cup
  13. cold — an illness
  14. bowl — to roll
  15. fine — all right
  16. bowl — a dish
  17. band — a rubber band
  18. cold — the Cold War
  19. current — happening now
  20. mug — to rob
  21. band — a ring
  22. lash — to lash out
  23. fine — a penalty
  24. toast — a drink to someone

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