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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: present · wave · spell · sharp · current · cabinet · net · plane

  1. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  2. How do you ________________ your surname?
  3. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  4. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  5. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  6. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  7. What do you think of the new ________________?
  8. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  9. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  10. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  11. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  12. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  13. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  14. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  15. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  16. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  17. The ________________ took off on time.
  18. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  19. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  20. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  21. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  22. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  23. It's one o'clock ________________.
  24. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — a sudden rise
  2. spell — letters
  3. wave — with your hand
  4. sharp — clever
  5. cabinet — a cupboard
  6. net — after costs
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. current — electric
  9. present — there
  10. current — of water
  11. sharp — with an edge
  12. plane — a tool
  13. spell — a short time
  14. net — for catching
  15. net — in sport
  16. current — happening now
  17. plane — an aircraft
  18. present — the time now
  19. present — a gift
  20. wave — of the sea
  21. plane — in geometry
  22. spell — magic
  23. sharp — exactly
  24. cabinet — ministers

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