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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.

Make a worksheet

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: tube · fan · lash · chair · plane · current · prune · chest

  1. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  2. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  3. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  4. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  5. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  6. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  7. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  8. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  9. I'll be taking the ________________.
  10. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  11. The ________________ took off on time.
  12. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  13. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  14. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  15. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  16. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  17. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  18. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  19. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  20. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  21. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  22. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  23. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  24. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — the fruit
  2. plane — in geometry
  3. current — electric
  4. chair — to sit on
  5. tube — in a tire
  6. current — happening now
  7. prune — to trim
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. tube — the underground
  10. chest — a box
  11. plane — an aircraft
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. prune — to trim
  14. plane — a tool
  15. chest — of your body
  16. lash — to lash out
  17. chair — a professorship
  18. chest — of your body
  19. tube — a container
  20. lash — an eyelash
  21. current — of water
  22. fan — to cool the air
  23. chair — a leader
  24. lash — a whip stroke

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