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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.

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: present · fan · leaves · lash · chest · plane · race · current

  1. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  2. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  3. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  4. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  5. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  6. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  7. The ________________ took off on time.
  8. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  9. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  10. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  11. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  12. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  13. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  14. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  15. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  16. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  17. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  18. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  19. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  20. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  21. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  22. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  23. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  24. The ________________ change colour in autumn.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — to cool the air
  2. present — the time now
  3. leaves — lets stay
  4. plane — in geometry
  5. current — happening now
  6. leaves — to go away
  7. plane — an aircraft
  8. race — the arms race
  9. chest — of your body
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. lash — an eyelash
  12. present — a gift
  13. plane — a tool
  14. chest — of your body
  15. lash — a whip stroke
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. present — there
  18. current — of water
  19. current — electric
  20. race — a contest
  21. lash — to lash out
  22. race — humankind
  23. chest — a box
  24. leaves — of a tree

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