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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: tube · straw · face · current · snap · lash · deal · bay

  1. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  2. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  3. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  4. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  5. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  6. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  7. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  8. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  9. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  10. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  11. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  12. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  13. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  14. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  15. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  16. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  17. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  18. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  19. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  20. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  21. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  22. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  23. I'll be taking the ________________.
  24. My mare is ________________ in color.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — to keep at bay
  2. face — to confront
  3. lash — an eyelash
  4. straw — a straw man
  5. current — happening now
  6. deal — a big deal
  7. face — part of the head
  8. tube — a container
  9. deal — an agreement
  10. snap — to speak sharply
  11. snap — to snap out of it
  12. current — of water
  13. straw — to clutch at straws
  14. current — electric
  15. face — to point toward
  16. deal — to handle
  17. tube — in a tire
  18. lash — to lash out
  19. snap — to click
  20. lash — a whip stroke
  21. bay — a part of the sea
  22. straw — dry grass
  23. tube — the underground
  24. bay — a horse colour

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