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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: bowl · plane · arm · current · mine · face · racket · stick

  1. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  2. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  3. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  4. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  5. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  6. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  7. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  8. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  9. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  10. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  11. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  12. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  13. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  14. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  15. My father caught me by the ________________.
  16. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  17. The ________________ took off on time.
  18. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  19. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  20. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  21. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  22. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  23. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  24. She had a strange look on her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a football final
  2. mine — belonging to me
  3. racket — a loud noise
  4. face — to point toward
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. arm — a part of something
  7. current — electric
  8. plane — in geometry
  9. current — happening now
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. bowl — to roll
  13. bowl — a dish
  14. stick — to attach or keep to
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. face — to confront
  17. plane — an aircraft
  18. current — of water
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. mine — for digging
  21. plane — a tool
  22. mine — an explosive
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. face — part of the head

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