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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: bulb · face · net · racket · current · row · bear · lash

  1. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  2. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  3. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  4. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  5. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  6. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  7. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  8. I've got to change the light ________________.
  9. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  10. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  11. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  12. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  13. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  14. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  17. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  18. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  19. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  20. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  21. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  22. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  23. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  24. He hit the ball with his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. lash — to lash out
  3. current — electric
  4. lash — a whip stroke
  5. row — a line
  6. face — part of the head
  7. bear — the animal
  8. bulb — for light
  9. net — in sport
  10. lash — an eyelash
  11. bear — to put up with
  12. current — happening now
  13. row — a quarrel
  14. row — to paddle
  15. bulb — for light
  16. bear — the animal
  17. racket — a loud noise
  18. net — after costs
  19. face — to confront
  20. face — to point toward
  21. current — of water
  22. net — for catching
  23. bulb — of a plant
  24. racket — for tennis

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