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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: mouse · plane · wake · current · jam · clip · saw · swing

  1. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  2. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  3. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  4. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  5. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  6. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  7. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  8. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  9. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  10. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  11. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  12. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  13. The ________________ took off on time.
  14. She's very handy with a ________________.
  15. David sat on the ________________.
  16. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  17. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  18. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  19. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  20. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  21. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  22. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  23. He works in a ________________ mill.
  24. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — in geometry
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. jam — to spread on bread
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. jam — a tight spot
  6. clip — a video
  7. swing — in golf
  8. saw — past of 'see'
  9. plane — a tool
  10. clip — to cut
  11. wake — to stop sleeping
  12. swing — music
  13. plane — an aircraft
  14. saw — the tool
  15. swing — to play on
  16. clip — for paper
  17. current — of water
  18. current — electric
  19. current — happening now
  20. wake — a trail
  21. wake — before a funeral
  22. mouse — for a computer
  23. saw — the tool
  24. jam — in traffic

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