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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: current · toast · mug · chest · bulb · lash · craft · stick

  1. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  2. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  3. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  4. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  5. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  6. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  7. The light ________________ burned out.
  8. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  9. I've got to change the light ________________.
  10. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  11. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  12. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  13. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  14. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  15. Where did you ________________ them?
  16. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  17. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  18. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  19. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  20. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  21. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  22. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  23. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  24. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a cup
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. lash — to lash out
  4. mug — a face
  5. craft — a skill
  6. craft — boats
  7. bulb — for light
  8. toast — bread
  9. bulb — for light
  10. toast — the most admired
  11. current — electric
  12. stick — to attach or keep to
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. lash — a whip stroke
  15. mug — to rob
  16. toast — a drink to someone
  17. bulb — of a plant
  18. chest — of your body
  19. current — of water
  20. craft — a handicraft
  21. current — happening now
  22. chest — a box
  23. lash — an eyelash
  24. chest — of your 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