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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. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  2. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  3. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  4. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  5. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  6. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  7. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  8. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  9. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  10. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  11. There's no middle ________________.
  12. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  13. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  14. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  15. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  16. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  17. The ________________ took off on time.
  18. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  19. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  20. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  21. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  22. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  23. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  24. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — bread
  2. dip — a sauce
  3. current — of water
  4. wake — to stop sleeping
  5. current — electric
  6. drill — the tool
  7. plane — in geometry
  8. drill — army training
  9. dip — to sink
  10. toast — the most admired
  11. ground — a position
  12. craft — a handicraft
  13. dip — to dunk
  14. plane — a tool
  15. ground — the earth
  16. wake — before a funeral
  17. plane — an aircraft
  18. drill — a practice
  19. craft — boats
  20. wake — a trail
  21. ground — crushed
  22. toast — a drink to someone
  23. current — happening now
  24. craft — a skill

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