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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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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: lash · current · rest · rash · ruler · kick · kid · spring

  1. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  2. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  3. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  4. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  5. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  6. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  7. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  8. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  9. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  10. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  11. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  12. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  13. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  14. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  15. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  16. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  17. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  18. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  19. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  20. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  21. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  22. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  23. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  24. Don't do anything ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. rest — a break
  3. rash — on the skin
  4. ruler — a monarch
  5. current — of water
  6. rash — a series
  7. current — happening now
  8. lash — to lash out
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. kick — with a leg
  11. kid — to tease
  12. lash — a whip stroke
  13. spring — the season
  14. spring — of water
  15. kick — in football
  16. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. lash — an eyelash
  19. kid — child
  20. kick — a thrill
  21. spring — a coil
  22. current — electric
  23. rest — what's left
  24. rash — hasty

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