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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
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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: sharp · saw · current · rush · lash · net · land · spell

  1. How do you ________________ your surname?
  2. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  3. She's very handy with a ________________.
  4. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  5. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  6. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  7. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  8. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  9. He works in a ________________ mill.
  10. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  11. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  12. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  13. That must've been a ________________.
  14. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  15. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  16. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  17. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  18. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  19. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  20. It's one o'clock ________________.
  21. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  22. When are we going to ________________?
  23. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  24. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — letters
  2. rush — to hurry
  3. saw — the tool
  4. sharp — clever
  5. spell — magic
  6. lash — an eyelash
  7. current — of water
  8. net — after costs
  9. saw — the tool
  10. current — happening now
  11. lash — a whip stroke
  12. spell — a short time
  13. rush — a thrill
  14. net — for catching
  15. rush — hurry
  16. land — a country
  17. saw — past of 'see'
  18. current — electric
  19. land — ground
  20. sharp — exactly
  21. net — in sport
  22. land — to come down
  23. sharp — with an edge
  24. lash — to lash out

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