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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: bowl · tear · file · current · sharp · plane · nail · ball

  1. It's one o'clock ________________.
  2. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  3. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  4. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  5. The ________________ took off on time.
  6. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  7. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  8. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  9. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  10. The King held a masked ________________.
  11. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  12. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  13. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  14. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  15. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  16. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  17. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  18. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  19. The ________________ went through the wall.
  20. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  21. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  22. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  23. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  24. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — exactly
  2. bowl — a football final
  3. bowl — to roll
  4. current — of water
  5. plane — an aircraft
  6. current — happening now
  7. current — electric
  8. sharp — with an edge
  9. ball — a great time
  10. ball — a dance
  11. tear — from crying
  12. bowl — a dish
  13. sharp — clever
  14. tear — from crying
  15. plane — in geometry
  16. nail — on a finger
  17. plane — a tool
  18. file — a line of people
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. tear — to rip
  21. file — a document
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. ball — a round shape
  24. file — a tool

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