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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. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  3. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  4. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  5. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  6. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  7. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  8. How do you ________________ your surname?
  9. My father caught me by the ________________.
  10. The ________________ took off on time.
  11. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  12. The King held a masked ________________.
  13. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  14. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  15. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  16. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  17. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  18. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  19. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  20. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  21. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  22. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  23. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  24. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.

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

Answer key

  1. current — of water
  2. ball — a round shape
  3. plane — in geometry
  4. mark — to pay attention
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. plane — a tool
  7. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  8. spell — letters
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. plane — an aircraft
  11. spell — magic
  12. ball — a dance
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. kid — to tease
  15. arm — a part of something
  16. current — happening now
  17. kid — child
  18. mark — a grade
  19. spell — a short time
  20. ball — a great time
  21. mark — a trace
  22. hide — animal skin
  23. current — electric
  24. arm — part of the body

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