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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  2. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  3. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  4. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  5. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  6. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  7. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  8. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  9. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  10. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  11. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  12. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  13. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  14. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  15. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  16. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  17. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  18. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  19. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  20. The ________________ took off on time.
  21. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  22. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  23. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  24. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — an eyelash
  2. file — a line of people
  3. file — a document
  4. current — happening now
  5. bowl — a dish
  6. degree — temperature
  7. current — electric
  8. file — a tool
  9. bowl — to roll
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. degree — an amount
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. current — of water
  14. bowl — a football final
  15. stick — to attach or keep to
  16. deal — a big deal
  17. degree — from a university
  18. deal — an agreement
  19. lash — a whip stroke
  20. plane — an aircraft
  21. plane — in geometry
  22. deal — to handle
  23. lash — to lash out
  24. plane — a tool

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