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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: cabinet · kid · safe · current · fan · bass · lash · date

  1. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  2. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  3. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  4. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  5. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  6. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  7. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  8. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  11. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  12. Have you settled on a ________________?
  13. What do you think of the new ________________?
  14. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  15. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  16. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  17. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  18. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  19. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  20. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  21. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  22. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  23. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  24. I play ________________ in a jazz band.

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

Answer key

  1. current — of water
  2. lash — an eyelash
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. safe — a strongbox
  5. current — happening now
  6. lash — a whip stroke
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. cabinet — a cupboard
  11. kid — child
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. lash — to lash out
  15. fan — to cool the air
  16. bass — low music
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. current — electric
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. kid — to tease
  21. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  22. date — the fruit
  23. bass — the fish
  24. bass — the instrument

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