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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. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  2. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  3. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  4. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  5. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  6. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  7. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  8. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  9. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  10. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  11. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  12. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  13. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  14. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  15. Don't do anything ________________.
  16. Did you ________________ the meat?
  17. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  18. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  19. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  20. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  21. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  22. False peace will not ________________.
  23. The ________________ took off on time.
  24. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. current — of water
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. object — to protest
  5. plane — in geometry
  6. board — to get on
  7. last — finally
  8. plane — a tool
  9. current — happening now
  10. rash — on the skin
  11. board — a flat piece
  12. rash — a series
  13. last — final
  14. board — a committee
  15. rash — hasty
  16. season — to add flavour
  17. mouse — for a computer
  18. season — in sport
  19. current — electric
  20. object — an aim
  21. season — of the year
  22. last — to go on
  23. plane — an aircraft
  24. object — a thing

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