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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 116 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: face · mate · lash · charge · fan · bulb · clip · current

  1. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  2. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  3. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  4. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  5. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  6. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  7. Have you found your soul ________________?
  8. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  9. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  10. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  11. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  12. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  13. The tickets are free of ________________.
  14. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  15. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  16. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  17. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  18. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  19. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  20. The light ________________ burned out.
  21. I've got to change the light ________________.
  22. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  23. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  24. Let us try to swim against the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — an eyelash
  2. current — happening now
  3. face — part of the head
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. clip — to cut
  6. face — to point toward
  7. mate — a partner
  8. current — electric
  9. mate — a friend
  10. fan — to cool the air
  11. bulb — of a plant
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. charge — a price
  14. lash — a whip stroke
  15. lash — to lash out
  16. charge — in control
  17. face — to confront
  18. clip — a video
  19. clip — for paper
  20. bulb — for light
  21. bulb — for light
  22. mate — to breed
  23. charge — electricity
  24. current — of water

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