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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: plane · bowl · hand · date · rest · can · current · bat

  1. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  2. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  3. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  4. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  5. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  6. The ________________ took off on time.
  7. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  8. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  9. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  10. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  11. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  12. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  13. Have you settled on a ________________?
  14. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  15. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  16. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  17. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  18. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  19. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  20. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  21. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  22. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  23. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  24. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. current — electric
  3. hand — in cards
  4. bowl — a dish
  5. hand — help
  6. plane — an aircraft
  7. bowl — to roll
  8. can — to be able to
  9. current — of water
  10. plane — a tool
  11. can — a tin
  12. plane — in geometry
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. bat — in an idiom
  15. current — happening now
  16. date — the fruit
  17. bat — the animal
  18. hand — part of the body
  19. rest — what's left
  20. can — a tin
  21. rest — a break
  22. bowl — a football final
  23. bat — for baseball
  24. date — on the calendar

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