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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 120 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. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  2. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  3. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  4. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  5. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  6. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  7. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  8. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  9. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  10. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  11. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  12. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  13. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  14. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  15. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  16. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  17. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  18. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  19. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  20. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  21. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  22. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  23. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  24. The ________________ took off on time.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — in geometry
  2. current — of water
  3. spring — a coil
  4. fork — to eat with
  5. drill — army training
  6. fork — a garden tool
  7. club — for golf
  8. patient — calm and waiting
  9. fork — in a road
  10. object — a thing
  11. club — for dancing
  12. spring — the season
  13. spring — of water
  14. drill — a practice
  15. current — electric
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. object — an aim
  18. club — a group
  19. object — to protest
  20. plane — a tool
  21. drill — the tool
  22. current — happening now
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. plane — an aircraft

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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