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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
468
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: cold · current · mate · plane · roll · row · bay · spring

  1. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  2. Have you found your soul ________________?
  3. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  4. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  5. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  6. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  7. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  8. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  9. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  10. We're on a ________________ here.
  11. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  12. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  13. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  14. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  15. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  16. My mare is ________________ in color.
  17. The water is too ________________.
  18. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  19. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  20. The ________________ took off on time.
  21. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  22. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  23. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  24. I had a ________________ with my boss today.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — in geometry
  2. mate — a partner
  3. mate — a friend
  4. current — happening now
  5. row — to paddle
  6. plane — a tool
  7. spring — a coil
  8. roll — a list
  9. mate — to breed
  10. roll — on a roll
  11. spring — of water
  12. current — electric
  13. spring — the season
  14. roll — a cake
  15. current — of water
  16. bay — a horse colour
  17. cold — not warm
  18. row — a line
  19. cold — the Cold War
  20. plane — an aircraft
  21. cold — an illness
  22. bay — to keep at bay
  23. bay — a part of the sea
  24. row — a quarrel

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