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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: lash · plane · current · ground · club · suit · face · charge

  1. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  2. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  3. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  4. When will it ________________ you to start?
  5. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  6. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  7. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  8. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  9. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  10. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  11. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  12. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  13. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  14. The tickets are free of ________________.
  15. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  16. The ________________ took off on time.
  17. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  18. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  19. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  20. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  21. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  22. There's no middle ________________.
  23. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  24. The spa offers ________________ extensions.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — to lash out
  2. charge — electricity
  3. ground — crushed
  4. suit — to fit
  5. charge — in control
  6. current — happening now
  7. lash — a whip stroke
  8. face — to confront
  9. face — part of the head
  10. plane — a tool
  11. ground — the earth
  12. club — for golf
  13. plane — in geometry
  14. charge — a price
  15. face — to point toward
  16. plane — an aircraft
  17. suit — in cards
  18. club — for dancing
  19. suit — clothes
  20. current — of water
  21. club — a group
  22. ground — a position
  23. current — electric
  24. lash — an eyelash

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