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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: spell · key · current · plane · foot · stock · cell · lash

  1. This piece is in a major ________________.
  2. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  3. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  4. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  5. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  6. The ________________ market has crashed.
  7. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  8. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  9. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  10. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  11. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  12. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  13. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  14. How do you ________________ your surname?
  15. He was locked up in a ________________.
  16. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  17. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  18. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  19. The ________________ took off on time.
  20. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  21. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  22. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  23. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  24. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. key — in music
  2. current — of water
  3. lash — to lash out
  4. current — electric
  5. key — for a lock
  6. stock — shares
  7. foot — the bottom
  8. foot — part of the body
  9. foot — a measure
  10. current — happening now
  11. stock — a soup base
  12. lash — an eyelash
  13. spell — a short time
  14. spell — letters
  15. cell — in a prison
  16. plane — a tool
  17. stock — goods
  18. plane — in geometry
  19. plane — an aircraft
  20. cell — a phone
  21. lash — a whip stroke
  22. cell — in biology
  23. key — the most important part
  24. spell — magic

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