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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Did you ________________ the meat?
  2. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  3. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  4. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  5. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  6. The ________________ took off on time.
  7. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  8. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  9. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  10. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  11. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  12. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  13. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  14. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  15. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  16. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  17. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  18. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  19. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  20. When will it ________________ you to start?
  21. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  22. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  23. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  24. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. season — to add flavour
  2. plane — in geometry
  3. fan — to cool the air
  4. spring — a coil
  5. plane — a tool
  6. plane — an aircraft
  7. season — in sport
  8. suit — in cards
  9. straw — a straw man
  10. current — happening now
  11. row — to paddle
  12. spring — the season
  13. straw — dry grass
  14. season — of the year
  15. current — of water
  16. suit — clothes
  17. spring — of water
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. straw — to clutch at straws
  20. suit — to fit
  21. row — a line
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. row — a quarrel
  24. current — electric

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