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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.

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: current · lash · mate · chip · nail · face · bass · degree

  1. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  2. The ________________ went through the wall.
  3. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  4. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  5. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  6. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  7. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  8. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  9. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  10. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  11. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  12. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  13. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  14. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  15. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  16. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  17. Have you found your soul ________________?
  18. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  19. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  20. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  21. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  22. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  23. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  24. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.

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

Answer key

  1. current — electric
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. lash — a whip stroke
  4. degree — an amount
  5. bass — the fish
  6. face — to confront
  7. current — happening now
  8. chip — to eat
  9. mate — a friend
  10. degree — temperature
  11. current — of water
  12. face — part of the head
  13. mate — to breed
  14. nail — on a finger
  15. chip — for betting
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. mate — a partner
  18. lash — an eyelash
  19. face — to point toward
  20. bass — the instrument
  21. degree — from a university
  22. bass — low music
  23. chip — in a computer
  24. lash — to lash out

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