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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: pop · file · mouse · lean · current · cap · plane · date

  1. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  2. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  3. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  4. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  5. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  6. The ________________ took off on time.
  7. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  8. We're almost out of ________________.
  9. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  10. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  11. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  12. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  13. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  14. Have you settled on a ________________?
  15. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  16. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  17. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  18. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  19. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  20. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  21. You don't need to ________________ round.
  22. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  23. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  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. mouse — the animal
  2. date — the fruit
  3. plane — in geometry
  4. cap — of ice
  5. file — a tool
  6. plane — an aircraft
  7. pop — music
  8. pop — soda
  9. current — of water
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. cap — a lid
  12. plane — a tool
  13. current — electric
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. file — a document
  16. mouse — for a computer
  17. lean — to bend
  18. current — happening now
  19. file — a line of people
  20. cap — a hat
  21. pop — to visit
  22. lean — thin
  23. mouse — the animal
  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