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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: board · press · tube · arm · spring · plane · lash · current

  1. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  2. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  3. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  4. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  5. I'll be taking the ________________.
  6. Did you ________________ the button?
  7. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  8. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  9. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  10. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  11. My father caught me by the ________________.
  12. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  13. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  14. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  15. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  16. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  17. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  18. The ________________ took off on time.
  19. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  20. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  21. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  22. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  23. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  24. The spa offers ________________ extensions.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — in geometry
  2. spring — of water
  3. current — happening now
  4. lash — to lash out
  5. tube — the underground
  6. press — to push
  7. arm — a part of something
  8. current — electric
  9. board — to get on
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. press — newspapers
  13. press — a publisher
  14. spring — the season
  15. board — a flat piece
  16. board — a committee
  17. current — of water
  18. plane — an aircraft
  19. tube — a container
  20. lash — a whip stroke
  21. tube — in a tire
  22. plane — a tool
  23. spring — a coil
  24. lash — an eyelash

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