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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
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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: pop · sharp · net · chair · date · current · rush · lash

  1. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  2. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  3. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  4. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  5. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  6. Have you settled on a ________________?
  7. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  8. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  9. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  10. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  11. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  12. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  13. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  14. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  15. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  16. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  17. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  18. That must've been a ________________.
  19. We're almost out of ________________.
  20. It's one o'clock ________________.
  21. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  22. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  23. You don't need to ________________ round.
  24. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — to hurry
  2. sharp — with an edge
  3. date — the fruit
  4. lash — an eyelash
  5. chair — a professorship
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. pop — music
  8. net — for catching
  9. net — after costs
  10. net — in sport
  11. lash — to lash out
  12. chair — to sit on
  13. sharp — clever
  14. chair — a leader
  15. rush — hurry
  16. lash — a whip stroke
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. rush — a thrill
  19. pop — soda
  20. sharp — exactly
  21. current — of water
  22. current — electric
  23. pop — to visit
  24. current — happening now

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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