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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. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  2. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  3. The ________________ took off on time.
  4. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  5. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  6. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  7. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  8. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  9. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  10. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  11. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  12. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  13. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  14. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  15. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  16. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  17. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  18. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  19. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  20. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  21. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  22. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  23. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  24. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. current — of water
  2. plane — in geometry
  3. plane — an aircraft
  4. chair — to sit on
  5. content — happy
  6. plane — a tool
  7. bass — the fish
  8. wake — to stop sleeping
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. bore — gave birth
  11. content — videos and posts
  12. content — the amount
  13. bore — to tire
  14. bass — low music
  15. wake — before a funeral
  16. chair — a leader
  17. bass — the instrument
  18. current — happening now
  19. wake — a trail
  20. current — electric
  21. bore — to drill
  22. safe — a strongbox
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. chair — a professorship

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