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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: plane · dip · net · nail · content · fall · current · spell

  1. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  2. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  3. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  4. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  5. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  6. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  7. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  8. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  9. The ________________ went through the wall.
  10. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  11. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  12. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  13. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  14. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  15. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  16. How do you ________________ your surname?
  17. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  18. The ________________ took off on time.
  19. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  20. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  21. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  22. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  23. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  24. The ball hit the back of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. content — the amount
  2. nail — on a finger
  3. dip — to dunk
  4. plane — a tool
  5. net — for catching
  6. dip — a sauce
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. fall — to drop
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. current — happening now
  11. fall — to drop
  12. plane — in geometry
  13. content — happy
  14. dip — to sink
  15. spell — a short time
  16. spell — letters
  17. net — after costs
  18. plane — an aircraft
  19. current — of water
  20. content — videos and posts
  21. current — electric
  22. spell — magic
  23. fall — the season
  24. net — in sport

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