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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: plane · last · fan · current · bear · game · lash · press

  1. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  2. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  3. False peace will not ________________.
  4. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  5. The ________________ took off on time.
  6. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  7. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  8. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  9. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  10. Did you ________________ the button?
  11. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  12. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  13. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  14. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  15. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  16. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  17. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  18. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  19. That was a fun ________________.
  20. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  21. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  22. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  23. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  24. Let us try to swim against the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — to lash out
  2. bear — the animal
  3. last — to go on
  4. lash — an eyelash
  5. plane — an aircraft
  6. last — final
  7. plane — in geometry
  8. current — electric
  9. last — finally
  10. press — to push
  11. bear — to put up with
  12. plane — a tool
  13. fan — to cool the air
  14. game — a kind of play
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. press — a publisher
  17. lash — a whip stroke
  18. current — happening now
  19. game — a match
  20. game — wild animals
  21. bear — the animal
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. press — newspapers
  24. current — of water

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