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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.

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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: rash · fan · suit · temple · current · bat · straw · net

  1. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  2. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  3. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  4. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  5. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  6. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  7. When was this ________________ built?
  8. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  9. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  10. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  11. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  12. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  13. When will it ________________ you to start?
  14. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  15. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  16. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  17. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  18. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  19. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  20. Don't do anything ________________.
  21. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  22. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  23. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  24. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — the animal
  2. suit — clothes
  3. rash — a series
  4. straw — dry grass
  5. net — for catching
  6. bat — for baseball
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. temple — side of the head
  9. suit — in cards
  10. rash — on the skin
  11. net — in sport
  12. current — electric
  13. suit — to fit
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. bat — in an idiom
  16. net — after costs
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. current — of water
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. rash — hasty
  21. straw — to clutch at straws
  22. fan — to cool the air
  23. current — happening now
  24. straw — a straw man

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