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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. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  2. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  3. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  4. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  5. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  6. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  7. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  8. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  9. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  10. The ________________ took off on time.
  11. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  12. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  13. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  14. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  15. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  16. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  17. It's one o'clock ________________.
  18. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  19. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  20. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  21. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  22. The ________________ went through the wall.
  23. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  24. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. row — to paddle
  2. current — electric
  3. chip — in a computer
  4. sharp — with an edge
  5. snap — to speak sharply
  6. current — happening now
  7. row — a quarrel
  8. chip — to eat
  9. sharp — clever
  10. plane — an aircraft
  11. current — of water
  12. plane — a tool
  13. snap — to snap out of it
  14. snap — to click
  15. row — a line
  16. deal — to handle
  17. sharp — exactly
  18. chip — for betting
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. deal — an agreement
  21. deal — a big deal
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. nail — on a finger
  24. plane — in geometry

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