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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. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  2. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  3. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  4. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  5. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  6. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  7. When are we going to ________________?
  8. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  9. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  10. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  11. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  12. The ________________ took off on time.
  13. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  14. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  15. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  16. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  17. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  18. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  19. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  20. My mare is ________________ in color.
  21. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  22. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  23. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  24. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — for a computer
  2. clip — for paper
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. foot — part of the body
  5. clip — a video
  6. clip — to cut
  7. land — to come down
  8. plane — a tool
  9. plane — in geometry
  10. current — happening now
  11. net — after costs
  12. plane — an aircraft
  13. bay — a part of the sea
  14. net — for catching
  15. current — electric
  16. net — in sport
  17. current — of water
  18. bay — to keep at bay
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. bay — a horse colour
  21. land — a country
  22. foot — the bottom
  23. land — ground
  24. foot — a measure

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