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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. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  3. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  4. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  5. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  6. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  7. The ________________ took off on time.
  8. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  9. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  10. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  11. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  12. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  13. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  14. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  15. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  16. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  17. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  18. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  19. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  20. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  21. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  22. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  23. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  24. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — in geometry
  2. current — electric
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. pit — in a race
  5. current — of water
  6. wave — of the sea
  7. plane — an aircraft
  8. plane — a tool
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. prune — the fruit
  11. pit — a hole
  12. chest — a box
  13. prune — to trim
  14. wave — with your hand
  15. cue — a hint
  16. prune — to trim
  17. current — happening now
  18. wave — a sudden rise
  19. chest — of your body
  20. cue — for pool
  21. chest — of your body
  22. pit — a fruit stone
  23. patient — calm and waiting
  24. cue — a signal

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