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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: rush · plane · kick · staff · tear · ball · current · spell

  1. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  2. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  3. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  4. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  5. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  6. That must've been a ________________.
  7. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  8. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  9. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  10. The King held a masked ________________.
  11. The ________________ took off on time.
  12. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  13. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  14. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  15. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  16. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  17. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  18. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  19. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  20. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  21. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  22. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  23. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  24. How do you ________________ your surname?

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

Answer key

  1. current — electric
  2. plane — a tool
  3. ball — a round shape
  4. current — of water
  5. kick — with a leg
  6. rush — a thrill
  7. rush — to hurry
  8. plane — in geometry
  9. staff — a stick
  10. ball — a dance
  11. plane — an aircraft
  12. rush — hurry
  13. kick — in football
  14. staff — employees
  15. tear — to rip
  16. kick — a thrill
  17. tear — from crying
  18. staff — employees
  19. spell — a short time
  20. spell — magic
  21. ball — a great time
  22. current — happening now
  23. tear — from crying
  24. spell — letters

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