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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: tear · hide · current · lean · pound · staff · game · plane

  1. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  2. The ________________ took off on time.
  3. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  4. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  5. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  6. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  7. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  8. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  9. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  10. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  11. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  12. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  13. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  14. That was a fun ________________.
  15. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  16. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  17. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  18. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  19. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  20. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  21. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  22. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  23. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  24. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — a tool
  2. plane — an aircraft
  3. lean — to rest against
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. staff — a stick
  6. staff — employees
  7. pound — a weight
  8. lean — thin
  9. staff — employees
  10. tear — from crying
  11. pound — for dogs
  12. tear — to rip
  13. current — happening now
  14. game — a match
  15. tear — from crying
  16. game — wild animals
  17. plane — in geometry
  18. hide — animal skin
  19. current — of water
  20. game — a kind of play
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. pound — to hit hard
  23. current — electric
  24. lean — to bend

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