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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.

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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: face · stick · current · lash · row · club · plane · court

  1. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  2. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  3. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  4. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  5. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  6. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  7. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  8. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  9. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  10. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  11. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  12. The ball is in your ________________.
  13. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  14. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  15. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  16. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  17. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  18. The ________________ took off on time.
  19. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  20. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  21. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  22. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  23. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  24. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — in geometry
  2. face — to confront
  3. court — of law
  4. stick — to attach or keep to
  5. row — a line
  6. club — for golf
  7. current — of water
  8. lash — an eyelash
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. row — to paddle
  11. lash — a whip stroke
  12. court — for sport
  13. lash — to lash out
  14. court — of a king
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. club — for dancing
  17. current — happening now
  18. plane — an aircraft
  19. plane — a tool
  20. face — to point toward
  21. club — a group
  22. row — a quarrel
  23. face — part of the head
  24. current — electric

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