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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
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: staff · chest · current · plane · pass · row · wake · cap

  1. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  2. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  3. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  4. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  5. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  6. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  7. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  8. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  9. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  10. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  11. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  12. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  13. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  14. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  15. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  16. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  17. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  18. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  19. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  20. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  21. The ________________ took off on time.
  22. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  23. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  24. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — in geometry
  2. row — a quarrel
  3. wake — before a funeral
  4. cap — of ice
  5. current — of water
  6. cap — a lid
  7. row — a line
  8. chest — of your body
  9. staff — a stick
  10. current — happening now
  11. row — to paddle
  12. plane — a tool
  13. cap — a hat
  14. pass — to spend time
  15. pass — to succeed
  16. pass — a permit
  17. staff — employees
  18. current — electric
  19. wake — to stop sleeping
  20. wake — a trail
  21. plane — an aircraft
  22. staff — employees
  23. chest — of your body
  24. chest — a box

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