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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: squash · lie · foot · rush · kick · net · current · lash

  1. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  2. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  3. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  4. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  5. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  6. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  7. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  8. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  9. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  10. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  11. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  12. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  13. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  14. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  15. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  16. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  17. That must've been a ________________.
  18. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  19. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  20. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  21. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  22. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  23. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  24. I have a corn on my right ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. current — of water
  2. squash — to crush
  3. rush — hurry
  4. net — after costs
  5. lash — a whip stroke
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. foot — the bottom
  9. current — electric
  10. net — in sport
  11. lash — to lash out
  12. foot — a measure
  13. kick — in football
  14. lie — to recline
  15. squash — the sport
  16. rush — to hurry
  17. rush — a thrill
  18. squash — the vegetable
  19. kick — a thrill
  20. kick — with a leg
  21. lash — an eyelash
  22. net — for catching
  23. current — happening now
  24. foot — part of the body

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