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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: wave · fall · row · current · plane · fine · sharp · prune

  1. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  2. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  3. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  4. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  5. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  6. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  7. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  8. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  9. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  10. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  11. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  12. It's one o'clock ________________.
  13. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  14. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  15. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  16. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  17. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  18. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  19. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  20. The ________________ took off on time.
  21. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  22. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  23. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  24. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.

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

Answer key

  1. current — electric
  2. wave — of the sea
  3. row — a line
  4. row — a quarrel
  5. fall — to drop
  6. fall — to drop
  7. sharp — clever
  8. wave — a sudden rise
  9. prune — the fruit
  10. fall — the season
  11. wave — with your hand
  12. sharp — exactly
  13. fine — a penalty
  14. current — of water
  15. plane — a tool
  16. sharp — with an edge
  17. prune — to trim
  18. fine — high quality
  19. plane — in geometry
  20. plane — an aircraft
  21. prune — to trim
  22. row — to paddle
  23. fine — all right
  24. current — happening now

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