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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: rest · plane · current · fork · pop · bowl · drill · shower

  1. The ________________ took off on time.
  2. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  3. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  4. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  5. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  6. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  7. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  8. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  9. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  10. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  11. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  12. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  13. We're almost out of ________________.
  14. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  15. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  16. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  17. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  18. You don't need to ________________ round.
  19. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  20. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  21. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  22. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  23. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  24. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — an aircraft
  2. shower — rain
  3. bowl — a dish
  4. pop — music
  5. plane — a tool
  6. current — of water
  7. plane — in geometry
  8. rest — what's left
  9. rest — a break
  10. fork — a garden tool
  11. fork — to eat with
  12. shower — to wash
  13. pop — soda
  14. rest — what's left
  15. fork — in a road
  16. current — happening now
  17. bowl — to roll
  18. pop — to visit
  19. drill — the tool
  20. drill — army training
  21. current — electric
  22. shower — a meteor shower
  23. drill — a practice
  24. bowl — a football final

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