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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: present · straw · fan · ground · plane · bay · nail · current

  1. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  2. My mare is ________________ in color.
  3. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  4. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  5. The ________________ took off on time.
  6. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  7. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  8. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  9. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  10. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  11. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  12. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  13. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  14. There's no middle ________________.
  15. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  16. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  17. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  18. The ________________ went through the wall.
  19. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  20. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  21. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  22. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  23. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  24. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — dry grass
  2. bay — a horse colour
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. present — there
  5. plane — an aircraft
  6. straw — to clutch at straws
  7. straw — a straw man
  8. current — happening now
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. ground — the earth
  12. plane — a tool
  13. bay — to keep at bay
  14. ground — a position
  15. present — a gift
  16. ground — crushed
  17. plane — in geometry
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. current — of water
  20. nail — on a finger
  21. fan — to cool the air
  22. bay — a part of the sea
  23. present — the time now
  24. current — electric

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