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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: racket · mine · land · plane · rush · tube · current · rest

  1. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  2. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  3. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  4. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  5. When are we going to ________________?
  6. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  7. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  8. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  9. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  10. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  11. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  12. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  13. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  14. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  15. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  16. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  17. I'll be taking the ________________.
  18. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  19. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  20. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  21. That must've been a ________________.
  22. The ________________ took off on time.
  23. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  24. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — in geometry
  2. land — ground
  3. mine — for digging
  4. land — a country
  5. land — to come down
  6. plane — a tool
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. rush — to hurry
  9. rest — a break
  10. rush — hurry
  11. mine — an explosive
  12. current — happening now
  13. racket — a loud noise
  14. current — electric
  15. rest — what's left
  16. mine — belonging to me
  17. tube — the underground
  18. tube — in a tire
  19. tube — a container
  20. rest — what's left
  21. rush — a thrill
  22. plane — an aircraft
  23. current — of water
  24. racket — for tennis

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