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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 120 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. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  3. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  4. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  5. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  6. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  7. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  8. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  9. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  10. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  11. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  12. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  13. It's one o'clock ________________.
  14. The ________________ took off on time.
  15. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  16. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  17. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  18. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  19. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  20. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  21. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  22. I can't ________________ this cold.
  23. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  24. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — a tool
  2. mine — belonging to me
  3. mine — an explosive
  4. clip — for paper
  5. sharp — clever
  6. staff — a stick
  7. sharp — with an edge
  8. clip — a video
  9. current — happening now
  10. staff — employees
  11. stand — for spectators
  12. stand — on your feet
  13. sharp — exactly
  14. plane — an aircraft
  15. kick — a thrill
  16. mine — for digging
  17. current — electric
  18. kick — in football
  19. staff — employees
  20. kick — with a leg
  21. current — of water
  22. stand — to bear
  23. clip — to cut
  24. plane — in geometry

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