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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: craft · staff · plane · lean · game · current · fine · wake

  1. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  2. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  3. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  4. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  5. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  6. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  7. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  8. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  9. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  10. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  11. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  12. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  13. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  14. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  15. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  16. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  17. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  18. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  19. That was a fun ________________.
  20. The ________________ took off on time.
  21. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  22. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  23. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  24. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — before a funeral
  2. current — of water
  3. fine — high quality
  4. wake — to stop sleeping
  5. craft — a handicraft
  6. lean — to bend
  7. fine — a penalty
  8. lean — thin
  9. wake — a trail
  10. current — electric
  11. current — happening now
  12. plane — in geometry
  13. game — a kind of play
  14. craft — a skill
  15. staff — employees
  16. game — wild animals
  17. lean — to rest against
  18. staff — employees
  19. game — a match
  20. plane — an aircraft
  21. staff — a stick
  22. fine — all right
  23. craft — boats
  24. plane — a tool

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