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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. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  2. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  3. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  4. The ________________ took off on time.
  5. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  6. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  7. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  8. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  9. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  10. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  11. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  12. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  13. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  14. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  15. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  16. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  17. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  18. The water is too ________________.
  19. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  20. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  21. We're on a ________________ here.
  22. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  23. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  24. She got the top ________________ in the exam.

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

Answer key

  1. current — electric
  2. wound — an injury
  3. current — of water
  4. plane — an aircraft
  5. plane — in geometry
  6. chair — to sit on
  7. wound — past of 'wind'
  8. cold — an illness
  9. roll — a cake
  10. mark — to pay attention
  11. mark — a trace
  12. chair — a leader
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. plane — a tool
  16. wound — an injury
  17. safe — a strongbox
  18. cold — not warm
  19. cold — the Cold War
  20. roll — a list
  21. roll — on a roll
  22. current — happening now
  23. chair — a professorship
  24. mark — a grade

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