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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. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  2. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  3. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  4. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  5. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  6. I've got to change the light ________________.
  7. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  10. False peace will not ________________.
  11. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  12. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  13. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  14. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  15. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  16. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  17. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  18. My father caught me by the ________________.
  19. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  20. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  21. The ________________ took off on time.
  22. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  23. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  24. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — to stop sleeping
  2. plane — a tool
  3. arm — a part of something
  4. staff — employees
  5. current — happening now
  6. bulb — for light
  7. plane — in geometry
  8. bulb — for light
  9. kid — child
  10. last — to go on
  11. wake — a trail
  12. last — final
  13. staff — employees
  14. current — of water
  15. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  16. kid — to tease
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. current — electric
  20. last — finally
  21. plane — an aircraft
  22. bulb — of a plant
  23. staff — a stick
  24. wake — before a funeral

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