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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. The ________________ took off on time.
  2. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  3. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  4. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  5. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  6. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  7. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  8. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  9. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  10. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  11. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  12. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  13. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  14. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  15. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  16. The tickets are free of ________________.
  17. When are we going to ________________?
  18. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  19. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  20. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  21. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  22. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  23. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  24. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — an aircraft
  2. current — happening now
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. charge — electricity
  5. staff — employees
  6. land — ground
  7. current — of water
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. staff — a stick
  10. fan — to cool the air
  11. hide — animal skin
  12. charge — in control
  13. plane — in geometry
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. trunk — of an elephant
  16. charge — a price
  17. land — to come down
  18. staff — employees
  19. trunk — of a car
  20. land — a country
  21. plane — a tool
  22. trunk — of a tree
  23. fan — a supporter
  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