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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. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  2. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  3. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  4. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  5. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  6. The ________________ took off on time.
  7. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  8. I can't ________________ this cold.
  9. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  10. It's one o'clock ________________.
  11. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  12. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  13. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  14. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  15. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  16. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  17. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  18. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  19. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  20. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  21. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  22. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  23. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  24. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — a tool
  2. sharp — clever
  3. mark — a trace
  4. mark — to pay attention
  5. plane — in geometry
  6. plane — an aircraft
  7. current — of water
  8. stand — to bear
  9. stand — on your feet
  10. sharp — exactly
  11. bat — for baseball
  12. lean — to bend
  13. trunk — of a car
  14. trunk — of an elephant
  15. lean — to rest against
  16. bat — in an idiom
  17. trunk — of a tree
  18. stand — for spectators
  19. sharp — with an edge
  20. lean — thin
  21. current — happening now
  22. mark — a grade
  23. bat — the animal
  24. current — electric

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