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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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468
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: firm · pitcher · face · stick · net · current · fine · lash

  1. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  2. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  3. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  4. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  5. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  6. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  7. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  8. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  9. He is an ace ________________.
  10. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  11. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  12. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  13. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  14. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  15. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  16. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  17. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  18. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  19. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  20. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  21. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  22. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  23. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  24. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.

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

Answer key

  1. face — part of the head
  2. lash — an eyelash
  3. current — electric
  4. fine — a penalty
  5. net — in sport
  6. firm — a company
  7. current — of water
  8. face — to point toward
  9. pitcher — in baseball
  10. lash — a whip stroke
  11. firm — decided
  12. stick — to attach or keep to
  13. fine — high quality
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. face — to confront
  16. net — for catching
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. net — after costs
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. current — happening now
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. lash — to lash out
  23. fine — all right
  24. firm — steady

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