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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. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  2. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  3. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  4. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  5. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  6. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  7. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  8. The ________________ took off on time.
  9. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  10. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  11. The King held a masked ________________.
  12. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  13. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  14. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  15. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  16. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  17. When was this ________________ built?
  18. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  19. False peace will not ________________.
  20. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  21. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  22. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  23. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  24. The players ran onto the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. last — final
  2. current — happening now
  3. plane — a tool
  4. ball — a round shape
  5. snap — to snap out of it
  6. fork — a garden tool
  7. current — electric
  8. plane — an aircraft
  9. fork — in a road
  10. plane — in geometry
  11. ball — a dance
  12. snap — to click
  13. last — finally
  14. temple — side of the head
  15. fork — to eat with
  16. pitch — completely
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. pitch — a sales talk
  19. last — to go on
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. snap — to speak sharply
  22. current — of water
  23. ball — a great time
  24. pitch — a sports field

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