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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: rash · plane · chip · wave · stock · drill · spring · current

  1. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  2. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  3. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  4. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  5. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  6. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  7. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  8. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  9. The ________________ market has crashed.
  10. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  11. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  12. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  13. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  14. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  15. Don't do anything ________________.
  16. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  17. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  18. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  19. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  20. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  21. The ________________ took off on time.
  22. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  23. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  24. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.

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

Answer key

  1. current — electric
  2. spring — a coil
  3. plane — a tool
  4. chip — in a computer
  5. spring — of water
  6. wave — a sudden rise
  7. plane — in geometry
  8. wave — of the sea
  9. stock — shares
  10. drill — a practice
  11. drill — army training
  12. current — of water
  13. stock — goods
  14. wave — with your hand
  15. rash — hasty
  16. spring — the season
  17. rash — on the skin
  18. current — happening now
  19. chip — to eat
  20. stock — a soup base
  21. plane — an aircraft
  22. chip — for betting
  23. drill — the tool
  24. rash — a series

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