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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: lash · fan · net · ground · face · drill · stick · content

  1. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  2. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  3. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  4. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  5. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  6. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  7. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  8. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  9. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  10. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  11. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  12. There's no middle ________________.
  13. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  14. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  15. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  16. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  17. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  18. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  19. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  20. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  21. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  22. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  23. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  24. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — to cool the air
  2. lash — to lash out
  3. face — to confront
  4. content — videos and posts
  5. lash — an eyelash
  6. ground — crushed
  7. ground — the earth
  8. net — after costs
  9. net — in sport
  10. face — to point toward
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. ground — a position
  13. net — for catching
  14. drill — army training
  15. stick — to attach or keep to
  16. content — the amount
  17. face — part of the head
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. drill — the tool
  20. drill — a practice
  21. lash — a whip stroke
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. content — happy

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