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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: current · plane · net · dip · object · rock · drill · rule

  1. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  2. The ________________ took off on time.
  3. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  4. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  5. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  6. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  7. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  8. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  9. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  10. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  11. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  12. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  13. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  14. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  15. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  16. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  17. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  18. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  19. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  20. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  21. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  22. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  23. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  24. We had a fire ________________ at school today.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — music
  2. plane — an aircraft
  3. current — of water
  4. net — after costs
  5. dip — to sink
  6. rock — a stone
  7. current — electric
  8. net — in sport
  9. plane — in geometry
  10. net — for catching
  11. object — to protest
  12. plane — a tool
  13. dip — a sauce
  14. rule — to rule out
  15. current — happening now
  16. rule — government
  17. object — an aim
  18. dip — to dunk
  19. rule — a law
  20. rock — to move gently
  21. object — a thing
  22. drill — the tool
  23. drill — army training
  24. drill — a practice

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