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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 carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  2. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  3. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  4. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  5. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  6. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  7. That must've been a ________________.
  8. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  9. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  10. Don't do anything ________________.
  11. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  12. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  13. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  14. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  15. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  16. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  17. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  18. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  19. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  20. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  21. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  22. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  23. The ________________ took off on time.
  24. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — a tool
  2. current — electric
  3. current — of water
  4. bass — the fish
  5. current — happening now
  6. object — an aim
  7. rush — a thrill
  8. rush — to hurry
  9. branch — a division
  10. rash — hasty
  11. rash — a series
  12. bass — the instrument
  13. fork — in a road
  14. branch — of a bank
  15. fork — a garden tool
  16. plane — in geometry
  17. rash — on the skin
  18. object — to protest
  19. branch — of a tree
  20. rush — hurry
  21. object — a thing
  22. bass — low music
  23. plane — an aircraft
  24. fork — to eat with

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