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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. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  2. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  3. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  4. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  5. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  6. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  7. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  8. He works in a ________________ mill.
  9. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  10. She's very handy with a ________________.
  11. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  12. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  13. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  14. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  15. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  16. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  17. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  18. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  19. The ________________ took off on time.
  20. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  21. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  22. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  23. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  24. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a trace
  2. drill — army training
  3. current — happening now
  4. drill — the tool
  5. chip — for betting
  6. plane — a tool
  7. bear — the animal
  8. saw — the tool
  9. lean — to rest against
  10. saw — the tool
  11. current — electric
  12. saw — past of 'see'
  13. plane — in geometry
  14. mark — to pay attention
  15. chip — to eat
  16. drill — a practice
  17. lean — thin
  18. bear — the animal
  19. plane — an aircraft
  20. current — of water
  21. bear — to put up with
  22. mark — a grade
  23. chip — in a computer
  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