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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. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  2. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  3. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  4. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  5. He is an ace ________________.
  6. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  7. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  8. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  9. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  10. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  11. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  12. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  13. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  14. The ________________ took off on time.
  15. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  16. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  17. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  18. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  19. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  20. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  21. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  22. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  23. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  24. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — in geometry
  2. wave — with your hand
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. plane — a tool
  5. pitcher — in baseball
  6. current — electric
  7. toast — bread
  8. current — of water
  9. wave — a sudden rise
  10. row — a line
  11. chip — for betting
  12. chip — to eat
  13. toast — the most admired
  14. plane — an aircraft
  15. chip — in a computer
  16. hand — part of the body
  17. toast — a drink to someone
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. wave — of the sea
  20. row — a quarrel
  21. row — to paddle
  22. hand — in cards
  23. hand — help
  24. current — happening now

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