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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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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: plane · bowl · cap · rock · lash · season · current · game

  1. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  2. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  3. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  4. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  5. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  6. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  7. Did you ________________ the meat?
  8. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  9. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  10. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  11. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  12. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  13. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  14. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  15. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  16. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  17. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  18. The ________________ took off on time.
  19. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  20. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  21. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  22. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  23. That was a fun ________________.
  24. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.

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

Answer key

  1. season — of the year
  2. current — happening now
  3. current — of water
  4. bowl — to roll
  5. bowl — a football final
  6. plane — a tool
  7. season — to add flavour
  8. rock — a stone
  9. rock — music
  10. lash — to lash out
  11. cap — of ice
  12. current — electric
  13. rock — to move gently
  14. lash — an eyelash
  15. plane — in geometry
  16. season — in sport
  17. game — wild animals
  18. plane — an aircraft
  19. lash — a whip stroke
  20. bowl — a dish
  21. game — a kind of play
  22. cap — a lid
  23. game — a match
  24. cap — a hat

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