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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 116 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 speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  2. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  3. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  4. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  5. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  6. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  7. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  8. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  9. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  10. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  11. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  12. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  13. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  14. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  15. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  16. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  17. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  18. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  19. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  20. The ________________ took off on time.
  21. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  22. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  23. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  24. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — a trail
  2. plane — a tool
  3. leaves — lets stay
  4. clip — a video
  5. net — after costs
  6. plane — in geometry
  7. net — in sport
  8. current — happening now
  9. clip — to cut
  10. wake — to stop sleeping
  11. field — for sport
  12. wake — before a funeral
  13. leaves — of a tree
  14. current — of water
  15. fine — high quality
  16. net — for catching
  17. field — farmland
  18. clip — for paper
  19. current — electric
  20. plane — an aircraft
  21. fine — all right
  22. field — a subject
  23. leaves — to go away
  24. fine — a penalty

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