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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: ball · bark · wave · current · foot · object · plane · arm

  1. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  2. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  3. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  4. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  5. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  6. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  7. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  8. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  9. My father caught me by the ________________.
  10. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  11. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  12. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  13. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  14. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  15. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  16. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  17. The ________________ took off on time.
  18. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  19. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  20. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  21. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  22. The King held a masked ________________.
  23. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  24. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.

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

Answer key

  1. object — to protest
  2. current — electric
  3. object — an aim
  4. ball — a round shape
  5. plane — in geometry
  6. current — of water
  7. foot — a measure
  8. current — happening now
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. wave — a sudden rise
  11. wave — with your hand
  12. foot — part of the body
  13. plane — a tool
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. foot — the bottom
  16. bark — of a tree
  17. plane — an aircraft
  18. wave — of the sea
  19. ball — a great time
  20. bark — a dog's sound
  21. object — a thing
  22. ball — a dance
  23. bark — to shout
  24. arm — a part of something

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