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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: bat · mate · current · ruler · ground · wax · plane · staff

  1. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  2. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  3. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  4. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  5. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  6. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  7. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  8. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  9. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  10. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  11. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  12. Have you found your soul ________________?
  13. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  14. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  15. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  16. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  17. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  18. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  19. There's no middle ________________.
  20. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  21. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  22. The ________________ took off on time.
  23. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  24. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — in geometry
  2. current — electric
  3. ground — crushed
  4. wax — to grow
  5. mate — to breed
  6. staff — employees
  7. staff — a stick
  8. wax — for sculpting
  9. current — of water
  10. bat — for baseball
  11. ruler — a monarch
  12. mate — a partner
  13. plane — a tool
  14. bat — in an idiom
  15. staff — employees
  16. ground — the earth
  17. mate — a friend
  18. current — happening now
  19. ground — a position
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. wax — in the ear
  22. plane — an aircraft
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. bat — the animal

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