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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 speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  2. The ________________ took off on time.
  3. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  4. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  5. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  6. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  7. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  8. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  9. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  10. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  11. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  12. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  13. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  14. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  15. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  16. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  17. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  18. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  19. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  20. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  21. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  22. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  23. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  24. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — a trail
  2. plane — an aircraft
  3. chest — of your body
  4. deal — a big deal
  5. wake — to stop sleeping
  6. current — electric
  7. mine — an explosive
  8. current — happening now
  9. fork — to eat with
  10. bear — the animal
  11. plane — a tool
  12. wake — before a funeral
  13. chest — a box
  14. chest — of your body
  15. current — of water
  16. fork — a garden tool
  17. plane — in geometry
  18. fork — in a road
  19. mine — belonging to me
  20. bear — to put up with
  21. bear — the animal
  22. deal — to handle
  23. mine — for digging
  24. deal — an agreement

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