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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.

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: spell · calf · current · plane · ground · stick · lash · face

  1. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  2. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  3. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  4. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  5. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  6. The ________________ took off on time.
  7. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  8. There's no middle ________________.
  9. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  10. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  11. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  12. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  13. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  14. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  15. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  16. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  17. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  18. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  19. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  20. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  21. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  22. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  23. How do you ________________ your surname?
  24. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.

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

Answer key

  1. current — happening now
  2. plane — a tool
  3. ground — the earth
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. current — electric
  6. plane — an aircraft
  7. spell — magic
  8. ground — a position
  9. face — part of the head
  10. calf — of the leg
  11. spell — a short time
  12. ground — crushed
  13. face — to confront
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. face — to point toward
  16. lash — an eyelash
  17. lash — to lash out
  18. lash — a whip stroke
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. current — of water
  22. plane — in geometry
  23. spell — letters
  24. stick — to attach or keep to

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