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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 116 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: current · plane · chip · race · file · spring · straw · stand

  1. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  2. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  3. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  4. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  5. I can't ________________ this cold.
  6. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  7. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  8. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  9. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  10. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  11. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  12. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  13. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  14. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  15. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  16. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  17. The ________________ took off on time.
  18. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  19. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  20. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  21. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  22. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  23. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  24. There's a computer ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — in geometry
  2. current — electric
  3. race — a contest
  4. straw — dry grass
  5. stand — to bear
  6. stand — on your feet
  7. straw — a straw man
  8. current — of water
  9. plane — a tool
  10. spring — of water
  11. race — humankind
  12. file — a document
  13. chip — for betting
  14. spring — the season
  15. straw — to clutch at straws
  16. race — the arms race
  17. plane — an aircraft
  18. spring — a coil
  19. current — happening now
  20. chip — to eat
  21. stand — for spectators
  22. file — a line of people
  23. file — a tool
  24. chip — in a computer

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