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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 120 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. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  2. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  3. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  4. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  5. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  6. The ________________ took off on time.
  7. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  8. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  9. I'll be taking the ________________.
  10. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  11. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  12. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  13. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  14. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  15. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  16. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  17. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  18. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  19. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  20. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  21. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  22. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  23. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  24. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to bend
  2. current — of water
  3. pound — for dogs
  4. plane — in geometry
  5. kid — to tease
  6. plane — an aircraft
  7. kid — child
  8. pound — a weight
  9. tube — the underground
  10. club — for dancing
  11. lean — to rest against
  12. lean — thin
  13. tube — a container
  14. craft — boats
  15. craft — a handicraft
  16. current — happening now
  17. tube — in a tire
  18. current — electric
  19. club — a group
  20. craft — a skill
  21. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  22. pound — to hit hard
  23. plane — a tool
  24. club — for golf

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