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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. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  2. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  3. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  4. That must've been a ________________.
  5. The ________________ took off on time.
  6. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  7. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  8. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  9. What do you think of the new ________________?
  10. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  11. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  12. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  13. That was ________________ to happen.
  14. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  15. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  16. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  17. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  18. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  19. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  20. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  21. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  22. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  23. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  24. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — a cupboard
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. plane — in geometry
  4. rush — a thrill
  5. plane — an aircraft
  6. current — of water
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. prune — the fruit
  11. hide — animal skin
  12. prune — to trim
  13. bound — certain
  14. prune — to trim
  15. current — electric
  16. stick — to attach or keep to
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. bound — tied together
  19. rush — to hurry
  20. plane — a tool
  21. bound — obliged
  22. rush — hurry
  23. current — happening now
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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