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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: mine · bowl · current · plane · rest · hide · craft · wound

  1. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  2. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  3. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  4. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  5. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  6. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  7. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  8. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  9. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  10. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  11. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  12. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  13. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  14. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  15. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  16. The ________________ took off on time.
  17. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  18. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  19. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  20. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  21. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  22. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  23. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  24. Let us try to swim against the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a dish
  2. mine — an explosive
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. wound — past of 'wind'
  5. wound — an injury
  6. rest — a break
  7. craft — boats
  8. plane — a tool
  9. mine — for digging
  10. current — happening now
  11. craft — a handicraft
  12. plane — in geometry
  13. current — electric
  14. mine — belonging to me
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. plane — an aircraft
  17. wound — an injury
  18. rest — what's left
  19. hide — animal skin
  20. craft — a skill
  21. bowl — to roll
  22. rest — what's left
  23. bowl — a football final
  24. current — of water

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