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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.

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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 · stick · plane · last · bass · saw · wound · root

  1. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  2. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  3. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  4. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  5. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  6. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  7. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  8. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  9. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  10. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  11. The ________________ took off on time.
  12. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  13. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  14. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  15. He works in a ________________ mill.
  16. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  17. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  18. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  19. False peace will not ________________.
  20. She's very handy with a ________________.
  21. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  22. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  23. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  24. I play ________________ in a jazz band.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — past of 'see'
  2. last — final
  3. wound — an injury
  4. wound — an injury
  5. bass — the fish
  6. plane — in geometry
  7. root — of a plant
  8. last — finally
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. current — happening now
  11. plane — an aircraft
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. bass — low music
  14. wound — past of 'wind'
  15. saw — the tool
  16. current — electric
  17. stick — to attach or keep to
  18. plane — a tool
  19. last — to go on
  20. saw — the tool
  21. root — the cause
  22. current — of water
  23. root — of a word
  24. bass — the instrument

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