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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 116 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. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  3. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  4. It's one o'clock ________________.
  5. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  6. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  7. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  8. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  9. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  10. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  11. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  12. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  13. The ________________ went through the wall.
  14. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  15. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  16. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  17. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  18. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  19. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  20. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  21. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  22. The ________________ took off on time.
  23. Don't do anything ________________.
  24. He's quite ________________, isn't he?

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

Answer key

  1. plane — in geometry
  2. fall — the season
  3. fall — to drop
  4. sharp — exactly
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. fall — to drop
  7. current — happening now
  8. fork — a garden tool
  9. content — the amount
  10. plane — a tool
  11. current — electric
  12. content — happy
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. fork — to eat with
  15. fork — in a road
  16. rash — on the skin
  17. content — videos and posts
  18. current — of water
  19. sharp — with an edge
  20. rash — a series
  21. nail — on a finger
  22. plane — an aircraft
  23. rash — hasty
  24. sharp — clever

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