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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: bass · lash · fine · sharp · saw · press · game · current

  1. That was a fun ________________.
  2. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  3. It's one o'clock ________________.
  4. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  5. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  6. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  7. She's very handy with a ________________.
  8. He works in a ________________ mill.
  9. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  10. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  11. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  12. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  13. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  14. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  15. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  16. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  17. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  18. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  19. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  20. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  21. Did you ________________ the button?
  22. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  23. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  24. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a match
  2. game — a kind of play
  3. sharp — exactly
  4. current — happening now
  5. press — a publisher
  6. lash — an eyelash
  7. saw — the tool
  8. saw — the tool
  9. bass — the fish
  10. sharp — with an edge
  11. game — wild animals
  12. fine — high quality
  13. fine — a penalty
  14. lash — a whip stroke
  15. press — newspapers
  16. current — of water
  17. lash — to lash out
  18. sharp — clever
  19. bass — the instrument
  20. saw — past of 'see'
  21. press — to push
  22. current — electric
  23. fine — all right
  24. bass — low music

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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