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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: arm · lash · deal · cell · mate · wave · lie · current

  1. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  2. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  3. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  4. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  5. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  6. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  7. My father caught me by the ________________.
  8. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  9. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  10. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  11. He was locked up in a ________________.
  12. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  13. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  14. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  15. Have you found your soul ________________?
  16. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  17. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  18. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  19. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  20. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  21. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  22. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  23. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  24. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — a whip stroke
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. cell — in biology
  4. cell — a phone
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. deal — a big deal
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. mate — a friend
  9. lie — to recline
  10. mate — to breed
  11. cell — in a prison
  12. lash — an eyelash
  13. wave — of the sea
  14. deal — an agreement
  15. mate — a partner
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. current — happening now
  18. arm — a part of something
  19. current — electric
  20. lash — to lash out
  21. wave — with your hand
  22. wave — a sudden rise
  23. current — of water
  24. deal — to handle

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