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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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Word bank
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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: current · plane · row · ground · saw · safe · lean · foot

  1. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  2. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  3. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  4. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  5. The ________________ took off on time.
  6. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  7. She's very handy with a ________________.
  8. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  9. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  10. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  11. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  12. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  13. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  14. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  15. There's no middle ________________.
  16. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  17. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  18. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  19. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  20. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  21. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  22. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  23. He works in a ________________ mill.
  24. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to bend
  2. current — happening now
  3. saw — past of 'see'
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. plane — an aircraft
  6. row — a line
  7. saw — the tool
  8. plane — a tool
  9. foot — a measure
  10. ground — the earth
  11. plane — in geometry
  12. lean — to rest against
  13. lean — thin
  14. row — a quarrel
  15. ground — a position
  16. row — to paddle
  17. ground — crushed
  18. foot — part of the body
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. current — electric
  21. current — of water
  22. safe — a strongbox
  23. saw — the tool
  24. foot — the bottom

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