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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.

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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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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: lash · rush · snap · plane · face · fine · stem · current

  1. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  2. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  3. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  4. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  5. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  6. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  7. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  8. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  9. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  10. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  11. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  12. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  13. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  14. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  15. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  16. The ________________ took off on time.
  17. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  18. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  19. That must've been a ________________.
  20. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  21. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  22. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  23. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  24. Take your time. There's no ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — to lash out
  2. stem — to come from
  3. lash — a whip stroke
  4. snap — to snap out of it
  5. current — electric
  6. face — to point toward
  7. face — part of the head
  8. rush — to hurry
  9. fine — all right
  10. fine — a penalty
  11. current — of water
  12. plane — a tool
  13. stem — a stem cell
  14. face — to confront
  15. snap — to click
  16. plane — an aircraft
  17. fine — high quality
  18. lash — an eyelash
  19. rush — a thrill
  20. snap — to speak sharply
  21. plane — in geometry
  22. stem — of a plant
  23. current — happening now
  24. rush — hurry

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