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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 116 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 walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  2. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  3. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  4. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  5. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  6. The ________________ took off on time.
  7. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  8. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  9. Have you found your soul ________________?
  10. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  11. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  12. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  13. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  14. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  15. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  16. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  17. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  18. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  19. When are we going to ________________?
  20. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  21. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  22. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  23. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  24. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a line of people
  2. land — a country
  3. current — happening now
  4. trunk — of a car
  5. deal — an agreement
  6. plane — an aircraft
  7. deal — to handle
  8. file — a tool
  9. mate — a partner
  10. mate — to breed
  11. trunk — of a tree
  12. mate — a friend
  13. current — of water
  14. current — electric
  15. plane — a tool
  16. mark — a grade
  17. deal — a big deal
  18. plane — in geometry
  19. land — to come down
  20. trunk — of an elephant
  21. mark — a trace
  22. file — a document
  23. land — ground
  24. mark — to pay attention

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