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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.

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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: mug · stick · lash · dip · current · ground · mouse · spring

  1. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  2. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  3. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  4. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  5. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  6. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  7. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  8. Where did you ________________ them?
  9. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  10. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  11. There's no middle ________________.
  12. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  13. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  14. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  15. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  16. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  17. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  18. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  19. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  20. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  21. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  22. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  23. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  24. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.

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

Answer key

  1. current — electric
  2. lash — to lash out
  3. mug — a face
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. dip — a sauce
  6. spring — the season
  7. spring — of water
  8. mug — to rob
  9. ground — crushed
  10. stick — to attach or keep to
  11. ground — a position
  12. dip — to sink
  13. current — of water
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. spring — a coil
  16. mug — a cup
  17. lash — a whip stroke
  18. current — happening now
  19. ground — the earth
  20. lash — an eyelash
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. mouse — for a computer
  23. dip — to dunk
  24. mouse — the animal

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