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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: lie · rash · snap · calf · stick · current · straw · present

  1. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  2. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  3. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  4. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  5. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  6. Don't do anything ________________.
  7. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  8. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  9. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  10. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  11. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  12. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  13. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  14. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  15. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  16. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  17. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  18. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  19. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  20. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  21. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  22. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  23. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  24. I seem to be developing a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — dry grass
  2. present — there
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. snap — to snap out of it
  5. snap — to speak sharply
  6. rash — hasty
  7. calf — of the leg
  8. rash — a series
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. present — a gift
  11. snap — to click
  12. straw — a straw man
  13. current — of water
  14. lie — to recline
  15. current — happening now
  16. stick — to attach or keep to
  17. current — electric
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. present — the time now
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. straw — to clutch at straws
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. rash — on the skin

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