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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. What do you think of the new ________________?
  2. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  3. The ________________ took off on time.
  4. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  5. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  6. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  7. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  8. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  9. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  10. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  11. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  12. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  13. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  14. My father caught me by the ________________.
  15. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  16. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  17. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  18. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  19. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  20. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  21. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  22. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  23. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  24. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. current — electric
  3. plane — an aircraft
  4. fork — a garden tool
  5. fork — in a road
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. plane — in geometry
  9. fork — to eat with
  10. leaves — lets stay
  11. arm — a part of something
  12. wave — a sudden rise
  13. plane — a tool
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. leaves — to go away
  16. capital — money
  17. capital — a city
  18. wave — with your hand
  19. current — of water
  20. cabinet — a cupboard
  21. leaves — of a tree
  22. wave — of the sea
  23. capital — a big letter
  24. current — happening now

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