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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
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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: bass · season · safe · patient · plane · current · key · last

  1. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  2. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  3. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  4. False peace will not ________________.
  5. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  6. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  7. This piece is in a major ________________.
  8. The ________________ took off on time.
  9. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  10. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  11. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  12. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  13. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  14. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  15. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  16. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  17. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  18. Did you ________________ the meat?
  19. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  20. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  21. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  22. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  23. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  24. Hard work is the ________________ to success.

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

Answer key

  1. current — electric
  2. last — final
  3. season — of the year
  4. last — to go on
  5. plane — a tool
  6. bass — the instrument
  7. key — in music
  8. plane — an aircraft
  9. bass — the fish
  10. current — happening now
  11. bass — low music
  12. current — of water
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. plane — in geometry
  15. patient — calm and waiting
  16. season — in sport
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. season — to add flavour
  19. key — for a lock
  20. safe — a strongbox
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. last — finally
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. key — the most important part

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