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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: lash · plane · race · season · current · straw · chest · can

  1. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  2. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  3. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  4. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  5. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  6. The ________________ took off on time.
  7. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  8. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  9. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  10. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  11. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  12. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  13. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  14. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  15. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  16. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  17. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  18. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  19. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  20. Did you ________________ the meat?
  21. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  22. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  23. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  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. can — to be able to
  2. current — of water
  3. race — the arms race
  4. can — a tin
  5. straw — to clutch at straws
  6. plane — an aircraft
  7. lash — an eyelash
  8. straw — a straw man
  9. season — of the year
  10. lash — to lash out
  11. current — electric
  12. chest — of your body
  13. chest — of your body
  14. lash — a whip stroke
  15. plane — in geometry
  16. plane — a tool
  17. can — a tin
  18. season — in sport
  19. race — humankind
  20. season — to add flavour
  21. race — a contest
  22. straw — dry grass
  23. chest — a box
  24. current — happening now

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