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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: rest · plane · bound · current · lash · arm · saw · game

  1. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  2. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  3. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  4. The ________________ took off on time.
  5. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  6. He works in a ________________ mill.
  7. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  8. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  9. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  10. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  11. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  12. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  13. That was ________________ to happen.
  14. My father caught me by the ________________.
  15. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  16. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  17. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  18. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  19. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  20. That was a fun ________________.
  21. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  22. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  23. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  24. She's very handy with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a kind of play
  2. current — of water
  3. current — happening now
  4. plane — an aircraft
  5. rest — what's left
  6. saw — the tool
  7. arm — a part of something
  8. plane — a tool
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. lash — a whip stroke
  11. rest — what's left
  12. current — electric
  13. bound — certain
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. rest — a break
  16. game — wild animals
  17. lash — an eyelash
  18. bound — tied together
  19. plane — in geometry
  20. game — a match
  21. bound — obliged
  22. saw — past of 'see'
  23. lash — to lash out
  24. saw — the tool

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