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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: chest · march · foot · net · current · fine · deal · lash

  1. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  2. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  3. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  4. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  5. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  6. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  7. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  8. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  9. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  10. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  11. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  12. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  13. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  14. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  15. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  16. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  17. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  18. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  19. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  20. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  21. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  22. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  23. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  24. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. net — for catching
  3. current — happening now
  4. foot — a measure
  5. foot — part of the body
  6. lash — a whip stroke
  7. chest — of your body
  8. march — the month
  9. deal — an agreement
  10. deal — to handle
  11. fine — high quality
  12. fine — a penalty
  13. march — music
  14. net — in sport
  15. fine — all right
  16. net — after costs
  17. lash — an eyelash
  18. current — of water
  19. foot — the bottom
  20. deal — a big deal
  21. chest — of your body
  22. lash — to lash out
  23. chest — a box
  24. current — electric

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