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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: dip · arm · mug · current · kid · lash · date · calf

  1. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  2. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  3. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  4. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  5. My father caught me by the ________________.
  6. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  7. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  8. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  9. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  10. Where did you ________________ them?
  11. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  12. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  13. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  14. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  15. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  16. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  17. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  18. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  19. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  20. Have you settled on a ________________?
  21. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  22. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  23. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  24. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — a whip stroke
  2. calf — of the leg
  3. arm — a part of something
  4. lash — to lash out
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. current — of water
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. dip — to sink
  9. kid — child
  10. mug — to rob
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. kid — to tease
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. mug — a face
  16. lash — an eyelash
  17. current — electric
  18. current — happening now
  19. mug — a cup
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  22. dip — a sauce
  23. dip — to dunk
  24. date — the fruit

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