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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
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: clip · net · lash · face · current · plane · fan · game

  1. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  2. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  3. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  4. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  5. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  6. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  7. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  8. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  9. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  10. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  11. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  12. That was a fun ________________.
  13. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  14. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  15. The ________________ took off on time.
  16. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  17. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  18. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  19. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  20. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  21. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  22. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  23. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  24. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. clip — to cut
  2. lash — a whip stroke
  3. face — to point toward
  4. game — wild animals
  5. face — to confront
  6. face — part of the head
  7. clip — for paper
  8. net — after costs
  9. current — of water
  10. plane — in geometry
  11. current — happening now
  12. game — a match
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. game — a kind of play
  15. plane — an aircraft
  16. lash — to lash out
  17. lash — an eyelash
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. current — electric
  20. fan — to cool the air
  21. plane — a tool
  22. net — for catching
  23. net — in sport
  24. clip — a video

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