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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 ________________ took off on time.
  2. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  3. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  4. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  5. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  6. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  7. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  8. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  9. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  10. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  11. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  12. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  13. It's one o'clock ________________.
  14. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  15. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  16. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  17. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  18. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  19. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  20. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  21. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  22. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  23. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  24. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — an aircraft
  2. board — a flat piece
  3. bore — to tire
  4. current — electric
  5. wave — with your hand
  6. fork — to eat with
  7. bore — to drill
  8. board — to get on
  9. current — happening now
  10. sharp — with an edge
  11. fork — a garden tool
  12. board — a committee
  13. sharp — exactly
  14. present — the time now
  15. plane — in geometry
  16. bore — gave birth
  17. fork — in a road
  18. sharp — clever
  19. wave — a sudden rise
  20. current — of water
  21. present — a gift
  22. plane — a tool
  23. wave — of the sea
  24. present — there

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