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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 116 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
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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: dip · plane · sharp · current · key · band · straw · mate

  1. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  2. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  3. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  4. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  5. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  6. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  7. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  8. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  9. It's one o'clock ________________.
  10. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  11. Have you found your soul ________________?
  12. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  13. This piece is in a major ________________.
  14. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  15. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  16. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  17. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  18. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  19. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  20. The ________________ took off on time.
  21. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  22. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  23. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  24. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?

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

Answer key

  1. band — a music group
  2. sharp — clever
  3. dip — a sauce
  4. sharp — with an edge
  5. dip — to sink
  6. straw — dry grass
  7. current — electric
  8. key — the most important part
  9. sharp — exactly
  10. band — a rubber band
  11. mate — a partner
  12. straw — a straw man
  13. key — in music
  14. current — happening now
  15. dip — to dunk
  16. mate — a friend
  17. mate — to breed
  18. straw — to clutch at straws
  19. band — a ring
  20. plane — an aircraft
  21. plane — a tool
  22. plane — in geometry
  23. current — of water
  24. key — for a lock

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