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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. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  2. The ________________ took off on time.
  3. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  4. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  5. That must've been a ________________.
  6. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  7. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  8. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  9. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  10. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  11. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  12. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  13. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  14. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  15. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  16. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  17. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  18. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  19. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  20. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  21. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  22. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  23. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  24. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — a stone
  2. plane — an aircraft
  3. toast — the most admired
  4. current — of water
  5. rush — a thrill
  6. current — electric
  7. chair — a leader
  8. toast — a drink to someone
  9. current — happening now
  10. rock — to move gently
  11. mine — an explosive
  12. mine — belonging to me
  13. clip — for paper
  14. clip — a video
  15. rush — hurry
  16. toast — bread
  17. chair — a professorship
  18. plane — a tool
  19. chair — to sit on
  20. rush — to hurry
  21. rock — music
  22. mine — for digging
  23. clip — to cut
  24. plane — in geometry

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