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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 116 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 carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  2. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  3. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  4. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  5. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  6. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  7. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  8. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  9. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  10. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  11. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  12. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  13. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  14. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  15. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  16. The ________________ took off on time.
  17. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  18. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  19. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  20. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  21. He was locked up in a ________________.
  22. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  23. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  24. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — a tool
  2. wave — of the sea
  3. current — of water
  4. cell — a phone
  5. fork — to eat with
  6. bank — of a river
  7. net — for catching
  8. wave — a sudden rise
  9. track — a path
  10. wave — with your hand
  11. plane — in geometry
  12. track — to keep track
  13. net — after costs
  14. net — in sport
  15. fork — in a road
  16. plane — an aircraft
  17. fork — a garden tool
  18. track — a song
  19. bank — for money
  20. current — electric
  21. cell — in a prison
  22. current — happening now
  23. bank — for money
  24. cell — in biology

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