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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: current · deal · lash · fan · sharp · net · calf · snap

  1. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  2. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  3. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  4. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  5. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  6. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  7. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  8. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  9. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  10. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  11. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  12. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  13. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  14. It's one o'clock ________________.
  15. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  16. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  17. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  18. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  19. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  20. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  21. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  22. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  23. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  24. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.

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

Answer key

  1. current — of water
  2. lash — a whip stroke
  3. snap — to click
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. sharp — with an edge
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. net — in sport
  8. lash — an eyelash
  9. net — for catching
  10. deal — an agreement
  11. calf — of the leg
  12. fan — to cool the air
  13. deal — a big deal
  14. sharp — exactly
  15. snap — to snap out of it
  16. sharp — clever
  17. net — after costs
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. lash — to lash out
  20. deal — to handle
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. snap — to speak sharply
  23. current — electric
  24. current — happening now

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