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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 116 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
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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: rush · plane · current · fan · deal · racket · clip · root

  1. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  2. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  3. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  4. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  5. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  6. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  7. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  8. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  9. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  10. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  11. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  12. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  13. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  14. The ________________ took off on time.
  15. That must've been a ________________.
  16. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  17. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  18. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  19. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  20. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  21. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  22. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  23. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  24. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — to cool the air
  2. current — happening now
  3. racket — a loud noise
  4. clip — for paper
  5. rush — hurry
  6. deal — to handle
  7. root — of a plant
  8. clip — to cut
  9. rush — to hurry
  10. clip — a video
  11. root — the cause
  12. plane — in geometry
  13. plane — a tool
  14. plane — an aircraft
  15. rush — a thrill
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. deal — an agreement
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. current — of water
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. deal — a big deal
  22. current — electric
  23. root — of a word
  24. racket — for tennis

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