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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.

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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: nail · stick · fan · current · net · content · rash · plane

  1. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  2. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  3. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  4. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  5. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  6. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  7. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  8. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  9. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  10. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  11. Don't do anything ________________.
  12. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  13. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  14. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  15. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  16. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  17. The ________________ took off on time.
  18. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  19. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  20. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  21. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  22. The ________________ went through the wall.
  23. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  24. He took the fish out of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — a tool
  2. net — in sport
  3. nail — on a finger
  4. content — the amount
  5. content — happy
  6. rash — on the skin
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. rash — a series
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. rash — hasty
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. current — of water
  14. current — electric
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. current — happening now
  17. plane — an aircraft
  18. stick — to attach or keep to
  19. content — videos and posts
  20. net — after costs
  21. plane — in geometry
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. fan — to cool the air
  24. net — for catching

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