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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 116 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: chip · present · plane · current · sharp · file · spring · pass

  1. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  2. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  3. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  4. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  5. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  6. It's one o'clock ________________.
  7. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  8. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  9. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  10. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  11. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  12. The ________________ took off on time.
  13. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  14. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  15. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  16. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  17. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  18. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  19. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  20. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  21. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  22. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  23. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  24. There's a computer ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — a permit
  2. chip — to eat
  3. file — a line of people
  4. current — of water
  5. sharp — with an edge
  6. sharp — exactly
  7. pass — to succeed
  8. chip — for betting
  9. current — electric
  10. spring — a coil
  11. file — a document
  12. plane — an aircraft
  13. sharp — clever
  14. spring — the season
  15. current — happening now
  16. file — a tool
  17. pass — to spend time
  18. present — a gift
  19. plane — in geometry
  20. present — the time now
  21. present — there
  22. plane — a tool
  23. spring — of water
  24. chip — in a computer

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