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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: rock · suit · chest · current · plane · lash · bat · face

  1. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  2. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  3. When will it ________________ you to start?
  4. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  5. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  6. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  7. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  8. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  9. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  10. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  11. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  12. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  13. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  14. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  15. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  16. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  17. The ________________ took off on time.
  18. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  19. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  20. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  21. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  22. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  23. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  24. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — the animal
  2. chest — of your body
  3. suit — to fit
  4. face — to confront
  5. chest — a box
  6. chest — of your body
  7. rock — music
  8. plane — in geometry
  9. current — of water
  10. lash — an eyelash
  11. current — happening now
  12. suit — clothes
  13. face — to point toward
  14. bat — for baseball
  15. plane — a tool
  16. suit — in cards
  17. plane — an aircraft
  18. lash — to lash out
  19. rock — a stone
  20. current — electric
  21. rock — to move gently
  22. lash — a whip stroke
  23. face — part of the head
  24. bat — in an idiom

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