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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: stick · key · ground · current · lash · straw · calf · spell

  1. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  2. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  3. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  4. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  5. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  6. This piece is in a major ________________.
  7. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  8. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  9. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  10. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  11. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  12. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  13. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  14. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  15. There's no middle ________________.
  16. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  17. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  18. How do you ________________ your surname?
  19. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  20. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  21. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  22. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  23. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  24. Let us try to swim against the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — the earth
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. straw — dry grass
  4. spell — magic
  5. key — for a lock
  6. key — in music
  7. straw — to clutch at straws
  8. lash — to lash out
  9. lash — a whip stroke
  10. current — electric
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. spell — a short time
  13. stick — to attach or keep to
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. ground — a position
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. ground — crushed
  18. spell — letters
  19. current — happening now
  20. straw — a straw man
  21. calf — of the leg
  22. key — the most important part
  23. lash — an eyelash
  24. current — of water

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