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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. The ________________ took off on time.
  2. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  3. I'll be taking the ________________.
  4. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  5. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  6. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  7. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  8. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  9. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  10. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  11. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  12. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  13. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  14. False peace will not ________________.
  15. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  16. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  17. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  18. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  19. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  20. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  21. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  22. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  23. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  24. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — an aircraft
  2. current — of water
  3. tube — the underground
  4. tube — in a tire
  5. fine — high quality
  6. current — electric
  7. mine — for digging
  8. plane — in geometry
  9. fine — a penalty
  10. lean — to bend
  11. last — finally
  12. last — final
  13. wave — with your hand
  14. last — to go on
  15. wave — a sudden rise
  16. current — happening now
  17. plane — a tool
  18. tube — a container
  19. mine — an explosive
  20. mine — belonging to me
  21. lean — thin
  22. fine — all right
  23. lean — to rest against
  24. wave — of the sea

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