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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. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  2. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  3. She's very handy with a ________________.
  4. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  5. The ________________ took off on time.
  6. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  7. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  8. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  9. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  10. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  11. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  12. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  13. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  14. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  15. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  16. He works in a ________________ mill.
  17. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  18. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  19. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  20. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  21. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  22. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  23. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  24. The ball hit the back of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. plane — a tool
  3. saw — the tool
  4. saw — past of 'see'
  5. plane — an aircraft
  6. wind — moving air
  7. foot — the bottom
  8. march — music
  9. wound — an injury
  10. plane — in geometry
  11. current — happening now
  12. wind — to turn a key
  13. march — the month
  14. wind — moving air
  15. foot — a measure
  16. saw — the tool
  17. current — electric
  18. net — for catching
  19. wound — past of 'wind'
  20. current — of water
  21. foot — part of the body
  22. wound — an injury
  23. net — after costs
  24. net — in sport

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