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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 116 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: plane · dip · lean · file · court · current · leaves · kick

  1. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  2. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  3. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  4. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  5. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  6. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  7. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  8. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  9. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  10. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  11. The ________________ took off on time.
  12. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  13. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  14. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  15. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  16. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  17. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  18. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  19. The ball is in your ________________.
  20. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  21. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  22. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  23. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  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. court — of law
  2. kick — with a leg
  3. kick — in football
  4. file — a tool
  5. kick — a thrill
  6. leaves — lets stay
  7. current — of water
  8. plane — in geometry
  9. file — a line of people
  10. dip — a sauce
  11. plane — an aircraft
  12. court — of a king
  13. current — electric
  14. lean — to rest against
  15. lean — thin
  16. leaves — to go away
  17. current — happening now
  18. lean — to bend
  19. court — for sport
  20. file — a document
  21. dip — to sink
  22. leaves — of a tree
  23. dip — to dunk
  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