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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: object · cap · plane · current · tube · file · pit · saw

  1. I'll be taking the ________________.
  2. She's very handy with a ________________.
  3. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  4. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  5. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  6. The ________________ took off on time.
  7. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  8. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  9. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  10. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  11. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  12. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  13. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  14. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  15. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  16. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  17. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  18. He works in a ________________ mill.
  19. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  20. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  21. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  22. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  23. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  24. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?

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

Answer key

  1. tube — the underground
  2. saw — the tool
  3. cap — of ice
  4. current — electric
  5. object — a thing
  6. plane — an aircraft
  7. file — a tool
  8. current — happening now
  9. file — a document
  10. current — of water
  11. file — a line of people
  12. tube — in a tire
  13. plane — a tool
  14. pit — a fruit stone
  15. tube — a container
  16. saw — past of 'see'
  17. pit — in a race
  18. saw — the tool
  19. cap — a hat
  20. object — an aim
  21. pit — a hole
  22. plane — in geometry
  23. object — to protest
  24. cap — a lid

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