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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. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  3. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  4. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  5. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  6. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  7. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  8. My mare is ________________ in color.
  9. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  10. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  11. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  12. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  13. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  14. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  15. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  16. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  17. The ________________ took off on time.
  18. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  19. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  20. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  21. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  22. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  23. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  24. She had a strange look on her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. current — electric
  2. band — a rubber band
  3. staff — a stick
  4. plane — a tool
  5. staff — employees
  6. plane — in geometry
  7. shower — a meteor shower
  8. bay — a horse colour
  9. current — of water
  10. bay — a part of the sea
  11. face — to point toward
  12. racket — a loud noise
  13. shower — rain
  14. band — a music group
  15. face — to confront
  16. shower — to wash
  17. plane — an aircraft
  18. band — a ring
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. current — happening now
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. bay — to keep at bay
  23. staff — employees
  24. face — part of the head

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