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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. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  2. The ________________ took off on time.
  3. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  4. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  5. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  6. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  7. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  8. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  9. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  10. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  11. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  12. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  13. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  14. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  15. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  16. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  17. She's very handy with a ________________.
  18. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  19. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  20. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  21. He works in a ________________ mill.
  22. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  23. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  24. The old man leaned on his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. current — electric
  2. plane — an aircraft
  3. band — a music group
  4. row — a line
  5. saw — past of 'see'
  6. plane — in geometry
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. staff — employees
  9. current — of water
  10. row — to paddle
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. plane — a tool
  13. band — a rubber band
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. row — a quarrel
  17. saw — the tool
  18. patient — calm and waiting
  19. ruler — a monarch
  20. current — happening now
  21. saw — the tool
  22. staff — employees
  23. band — a ring
  24. staff — a stick

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