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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.

Make a worksheet

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. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  3. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  4. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  5. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  6. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  7. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  8. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  9. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  10. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  11. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  12. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  13. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  14. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  15. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  16. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  17. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  18. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  19. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  20. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  21. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  22. The ________________ took off on time.
  23. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  24. We ________________ up on opposing sides.

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

Answer key

  1. current — of water
  2. plane — a tool
  3. wound — an injury
  4. toast — bread
  5. squash — the vegetable
  6. squash — to crush
  7. net — in sport
  8. kick — in football
  9. scale — for weighing
  10. net — for catching
  11. kick — with a leg
  12. kick — a thrill
  13. net — after costs
  14. toast — a drink to someone
  15. scale — size or range
  16. wound — an injury
  17. squash — the sport
  18. current — happening now
  19. plane — in geometry
  20. scale — in music
  21. toast — the most admired
  22. plane — an aircraft
  23. current — electric
  24. wound — past of 'wind'

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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