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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. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  3. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  4. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  5. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  6. Have you met the new head ________________?
  7. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  8. The ________________ took off on time.
  9. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  10. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  11. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  12. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  13. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  14. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  15. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  16. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  17. Don't do anything ________________.
  18. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  19. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  20. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  21. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  22. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  23. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  24. Let us try to swim against the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. current — electric
  2. rash — a series
  3. plane — in geometry
  4. content — happy
  5. plane — a tool
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. content — videos and posts
  8. plane — an aircraft
  9. content — the amount
  10. current — happening now
  11. stem — of a plant
  12. straw — to clutch at straws
  13. stem — to come from
  14. rash — on the skin
  15. jam — to spread on bread
  16. stem — a stem cell
  17. rash — hasty
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. coach — pulled by horses
  20. jam — a tight spot
  21. jam — in traffic
  22. straw — dry grass
  23. straw — a straw man
  24. current — of water

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