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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: current · kid · sharp · content · plane · row · lean · coach

  1. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  2. The ________________ took off on time.
  3. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  4. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  5. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  6. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  7. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  8. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  9. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  10. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  11. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  12. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  13. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  14. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  15. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  16. It's one o'clock ________________.
  17. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  18. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  19. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  20. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  21. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  22. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  23. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  24. Have you met the new head ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. plane — in geometry
  2. plane — an aircraft
  3. content — happy
  4. row — to paddle
  5. row — a line
  6. content — videos and posts
  7. current — happening now
  8. content — the amount
  9. plane — a tool
  10. sharp — with an edge
  11. coach — pulled by horses
  12. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  13. kid — to tease
  14. current — of water
  15. sharp — clever
  16. sharp — exactly
  17. lean — to rest against
  18. current — electric
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. lean — thin
  21. row — a quarrel
  22. lean — to bend
  23. kid — child
  24. coach — a trainer

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