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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 120 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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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: fan · plane · file · lash · rock · rest · sharp · current

  1. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  2. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  3. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  4. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  5. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  6. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  7. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  8. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  9. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  10. The ________________ took off on time.
  11. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  12. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  13. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  14. It's one o'clock ________________.
  15. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  16. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  17. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  18. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  19. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  20. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  21. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  22. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  23. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  24. Can you turn the ________________ on?

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

Answer key

  1. current — electric
  2. sharp — with an edge
  3. lash — an eyelash
  4. rest — what's left
  5. rest — what's left
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. current — happening now
  8. rock — a stone
  9. file — a document
  10. plane — an aircraft
  11. file — a tool
  12. lash — to lash out
  13. lash — a whip stroke
  14. sharp — exactly
  15. current — of water
  16. rest — a break
  17. file — a line of people
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. plane — a tool
  20. rock — music
  21. rock — to move gently
  22. sharp — clever
  23. plane — in geometry
  24. fan — to cool the air

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