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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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: rest · tear · foot · plane · suit · current · wake · rule

  1. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  2. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  3. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  4. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  5. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  6. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  7. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  8. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  9. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  10. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  11. The ________________ took off on time.
  12. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  13. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  14. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  15. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  16. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  17. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  18. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  19. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  20. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  21. When will it ________________ you to start?
  22. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  23. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  24. I have a corn on my right ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. current — of water
  2. current — electric
  3. rest — a break
  4. plane — a tool
  5. tear — from crying
  6. foot — the bottom
  7. rest — what's left
  8. tear — to rip
  9. plane — in geometry
  10. current — happening now
  11. plane — an aircraft
  12. rule — a law
  13. tear — from crying
  14. wake — to stop sleeping
  15. wake — before a funeral
  16. foot — a measure
  17. suit — clothes
  18. rule — to rule out
  19. suit — in cards
  20. wake — a trail
  21. suit — to fit
  22. rest — what's left
  23. rule — government
  24. foot — part of the body

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