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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.

Make a worksheet

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
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: bass · pound · lash · drill · fan · current · stick · tube

  1. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  2. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  3. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  4. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  5. I'll be taking the ________________.
  6. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  7. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  8. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  9. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  10. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  11. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  12. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  13. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  14. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  15. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  16. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  17. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  18. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  19. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  20. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  21. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  22. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  23. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  24. Can you turn the ________________ on?

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. bass — the fish
  3. current — of water
  4. lash — to lash out
  5. tube — the underground
  6. tube — a container
  7. pound — a weight
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. bass — the instrument
  10. bass — low music
  11. pound — for dogs
  12. tube — in a tire
  13. current — electric
  14. drill — the tool
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. lash — an eyelash
  17. drill — a practice
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. current — happening now
  20. drill — army training
  21. stick — to attach or keep to
  22. pound — to hit hard
  23. lash — a whip stroke
  24. fan — to cool the air

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