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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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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: tube · plane · racket · current · snap · arm · craft · wound

  1. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  2. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  3. I'll be taking the ________________.
  4. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  5. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  6. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  7. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  8. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  9. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  10. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  11. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  12. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  13. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  14. My father caught me by the ________________.
  15. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  16. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  17. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  18. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  19. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  20. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  21. The ________________ took off on time.
  22. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  23. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  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. arm — a part of something
  2. tube — in a tire
  3. tube — the underground
  4. wound — past of 'wind'
  5. current — electric
  6. craft — a handicraft
  7. wound — an injury
  8. snap — to click
  9. snap — to snap out of it
  10. craft — boats
  11. plane — in geometry
  12. tube — a container
  13. current — happening now
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. snap — to speak sharply
  16. racket — a loud noise
  17. wound — an injury
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. craft — a skill
  20. current — of water
  21. plane — an aircraft
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. arm — part of the body
  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