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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. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  2. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  3. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  4. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  5. The King held a masked ________________.
  6. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  7. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  8. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  9. How do you ________________ your surname?
  10. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  11. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  12. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  13. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  14. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  15. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  16. That was a fun ________________.
  17. The ________________ took off on time.
  18. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  19. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  20. Have you found your soul ________________?
  21. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  22. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  23. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  24. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. current — electric
  2. ball — a great time
  3. current — of water
  4. ball — a round shape
  5. ball — a dance
  6. plane — in geometry
  7. mate — a friend
  8. lash — to lash out
  9. spell — letters
  10. bass — the fish
  11. current — happening now
  12. bass — low music
  13. bass — the instrument
  14. game — a kind of play
  15. lash — an eyelash
  16. game — a match
  17. plane — an aircraft
  18. mate — to breed
  19. plane — a tool
  20. mate — a partner
  21. lash — a whip stroke
  22. spell — a short time
  23. game — wild animals
  24. spell — magic

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