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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. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  2. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  3. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  4. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  5. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  6. When are we going to ________________?
  7. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  8. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  9. This piece is in a major ________________.
  10. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  11. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  12. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  13. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  14. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  15. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  16. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  17. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  18. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  19. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  20. The ________________ took off on time.
  21. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  22. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  23. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  24. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.

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

Answer key

  1. land — ground
  2. current — electric
  3. plane — in geometry
  4. current — happening now
  5. lean — to rest against
  6. land — to come down
  7. key — the most important part
  8. row — to paddle
  9. key — in music
  10. band — a ring
  11. row — a quarrel
  12. key — for a lock
  13. leaves — of a tree
  14. row — a line
  15. band — a music group
  16. leaves — lets stay
  17. plane — a tool
  18. land — a country
  19. current — of water
  20. plane — an aircraft
  21. leaves — to go away
  22. lean — thin
  23. band — a rubber band
  24. lean — to bend

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