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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 116 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 want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  3. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  4. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  5. The ________________ took off on time.
  6. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  7. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  8. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  9. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  10. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  11. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  12. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  13. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  14. I'll be taking the ________________.
  15. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  16. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  17. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  18. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  19. It's one o'clock ________________.
  20. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  21. False peace will not ________________.
  22. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  23. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  24. This looks like a gunshot ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — a tool
  2. tube — a container
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. bass — the fish
  5. plane — an aircraft
  6. current — happening now
  7. tube — in a tire
  8. current — of water
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. sharp — with an edge
  11. plane — in geometry
  12. current — electric
  13. wound — an injury
  14. tube — the underground
  15. wound — past of 'wind'
  16. bass — the instrument
  17. last — finally
  18. patient — calm and waiting
  19. sharp — exactly
  20. sharp — clever
  21. last — to go on
  22. last — final
  23. bass — low music
  24. wound — an injury

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