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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.

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: plane · board · clip · land · current · fine · toast · spell

  1. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  2. How do you ________________ your surname?
  3. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  4. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  5. When are we going to ________________?
  6. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  7. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  8. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  9. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  10. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  11. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  12. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  13. The ________________ took off on time.
  14. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  15. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  16. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  17. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  18. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  19. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  20. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  21. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  22. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  23. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  24. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. current — electric
  2. spell — letters
  3. plane — in geometry
  4. toast — the most admired
  5. land — to come down
  6. board — a committee
  7. land — a country
  8. clip — a video
  9. board — a flat piece
  10. fine — a penalty
  11. land — ground
  12. clip — for paper
  13. plane — an aircraft
  14. current — happening now
  15. current — of water
  16. fine — high quality
  17. board — to get on
  18. spell — a short time
  19. clip — to cut
  20. toast — bread
  21. toast — a drink to someone
  22. plane — a tool
  23. fine — all right
  24. spell — magic

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