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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: sharp · lash · scale · plane · coach · kick · toast · current

  1. Have you met the new head ________________?
  2. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  3. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  4. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  5. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  6. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  7. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  8. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  9. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  10. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  11. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  12. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  13. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  14. The ________________ took off on time.
  15. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  16. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  17. It's one o'clock ________________.
  18. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  19. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  20. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  21. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  22. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  23. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  24. He's quite ________________, isn't he?

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. sharp — with an edge
  3. current — electric
  4. kick — with a leg
  5. scale — for weighing
  6. toast — bread
  7. current — happening now
  8. lash — a whip stroke
  9. current — of water
  10. coach — pulled by horses
  11. scale — size or range
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. lash — an eyelash
  14. plane — an aircraft
  15. lash — to lash out
  16. toast — the most admired
  17. sharp — exactly
  18. kick — in football
  19. toast — a drink to someone
  20. plane — in geometry
  21. kick — a thrill
  22. scale — in music
  23. plane — a tool
  24. sharp — clever

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