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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 120 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: file · capital · present · sharp · bore · wound · plane · current

  1. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  2. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  3. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  4. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  5. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  6. The ________________ took off on time.
  7. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  8. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  9. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  10. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  11. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  12. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  13. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  14. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  15. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  16. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  17. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  18. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  19. It's one o'clock ________________.
  20. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  21. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  22. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  23. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  24. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.

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

Answer key

  1. present — there
  2. bore — to tire
  3. plane — in geometry
  4. wound — an injury
  5. capital — a city
  6. plane — an aircraft
  7. file — a line of people
  8. current — of water
  9. present — the time now
  10. capital — money
  11. capital — a big letter
  12. bore — to drill
  13. wound — an injury
  14. current — happening now
  15. wound — past of 'wind'
  16. file — a document
  17. plane — a tool
  18. sharp — clever
  19. sharp — exactly
  20. current — electric
  21. present — a gift
  22. sharp — with an edge
  23. file — a tool
  24. bore — gave birth

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