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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.

Words on the sheet
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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 · wound · stem · object · drill · face · rush

  1. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  2. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  3. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  4. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  5. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  6. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  7. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  8. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  9. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  10. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  11. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  12. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  13. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  14. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  15. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  16. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  17. That must've been a ________________.
  18. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  19. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  20. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  21. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  22. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  23. The ________________ took off on time.
  24. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.

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

Answer key

  1. current — of water
  2. drill — a practice
  3. rush — hurry
  4. drill — army training
  5. current — electric
  6. wound — an injury
  7. rush — to hurry
  8. plane — a tool
  9. face — to point toward
  10. face — to confront
  11. stem — a stem cell
  12. wound — past of 'wind'
  13. stem — of a plant
  14. object — an aim
  15. plane — in geometry
  16. object — to protest
  17. rush — a thrill
  18. current — happening now
  19. face — part of the head
  20. stem — to come from
  21. drill — the tool
  22. wound — an injury
  23. plane — an aircraft
  24. object — a thing

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