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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: fan · ball · face · hide · lash · drill · swing · current

  1. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  2. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  3. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  4. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  5. The King held a masked ________________.
  6. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  7. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  8. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  9. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  10. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  11. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  12. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  13. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  14. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  15. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  16. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  17. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  18. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  19. David sat on the ________________.
  20. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  21. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  22. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  23. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  24. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a great time
  2. face — to point toward
  3. drill — army training
  4. swing — in golf
  5. ball — a dance
  6. drill — the tool
  7. swing — music
  8. current — of water
  9. lash — to lash out
  10. face — part of the head
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. current — electric
  13. face — to confront
  14. current — happening now
  15. ball — a round shape
  16. fan — to cool the air
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. hide — animal skin
  19. swing — to play on
  20. lash — a whip stroke
  21. drill — a practice
  22. lash — an eyelash
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. hide — to keep secret

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