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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.

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: current · mine · plane · spell · clip · foot · can · sharp

  1. The ________________ took off on time.
  2. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  3. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  4. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  5. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  6. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  7. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  8. It's one o'clock ________________.
  9. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  10. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  11. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  12. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  13. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  14. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  15. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  16. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  17. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  18. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  19. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  20. How do you ________________ your surname?
  21. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  22. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  23. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  24. Recycle the empty soda ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — an aircraft
  2. current — electric
  3. foot — the bottom
  4. can — to be able to
  5. current — happening now
  6. clip — a video
  7. spell — a short time
  8. sharp — exactly
  9. mine — for digging
  10. can — a tin
  11. sharp — with an edge
  12. mine — belonging to me
  13. plane — in geometry
  14. mine — an explosive
  15. plane — a tool
  16. foot — part of the body
  17. clip — for paper
  18. foot — a measure
  19. spell — magic
  20. spell — letters
  21. sharp — clever
  22. current — of water
  23. clip — to cut
  24. can — a tin

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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