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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 120 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.

Make a worksheet

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: row · rock · current · spell · kid · plane · lash · mine

  1. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  2. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  3. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  4. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  5. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  6. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  7. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  8. The ________________ took off on time.
  9. How do you ________________ your surname?
  10. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  11. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  12. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  13. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  14. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  15. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  16. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  17. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  18. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  19. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  20. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  21. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  22. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  23. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  24. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  2. kid — to tease
  3. spell — magic
  4. lash — to lash out
  5. lash — an eyelash
  6. spell — a short time
  7. row — to paddle
  8. plane — an aircraft
  9. spell — letters
  10. current — of water
  11. current — electric
  12. mine — belonging to me
  13. rock — music
  14. mine — for digging
  15. rock — a stone
  16. plane — in geometry
  17. kid — child
  18. rock — to move gently
  19. lash — a whip stroke
  20. plane — a tool
  21. row — a line
  22. row — a quarrel
  23. mine — an explosive
  24. current — happening now

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