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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. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  2. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  3. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  4. Have you found your soul ________________?
  5. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  6. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  7. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  8. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  9. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  10. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  11. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  12. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  13. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  14. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  15. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  16. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  17. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  18. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  19. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  20. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  21. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  22. It's one o'clock ________________.
  23. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  24. The ________________ took off on time.

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

Answer key

  1. current — electric
  2. plane — in geometry
  3. kid — child
  4. mate — a partner
  5. mate — a friend
  6. stem — a stem cell
  7. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  8. stem — to come from
  9. bowl — to roll
  10. bowl — a football final
  11. plane — a tool
  12. present — a gift
  13. current — happening now
  14. present — the time now
  15. kid — to tease
  16. current — of water
  17. sharp — clever
  18. mate — to breed
  19. stem — of a plant
  20. sharp — with an edge
  21. present — there
  22. sharp — exactly
  23. bowl — a dish
  24. plane — an aircraft

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