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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: current · patient · tube · craft · lean · face · sharp · plane

  1. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  2. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  3. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  4. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  5. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  6. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  7. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  8. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  9. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  10. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  11. I'll be taking the ________________.
  12. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  13. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  14. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  15. The ________________ took off on time.
  16. It's one o'clock ________________.
  17. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  18. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  19. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  20. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  21. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  22. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  23. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  24. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a skill
  2. face — to confront
  3. tube — in a tire
  4. lean — to bend
  5. face — to point toward
  6. craft — a handicraft
  7. current — happening now
  8. sharp — with an edge
  9. lean — thin
  10. craft — boats
  11. tube — the underground
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. face — part of the head
  14. plane — a tool
  15. plane — an aircraft
  16. sharp — exactly
  17. tube — a container
  18. patient — calm and waiting
  19. sharp — clever
  20. current — electric
  21. current — of water
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. plane — in geometry
  24. lean — to rest against

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