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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 120 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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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: sharp · plane · pit · hide · branch · mate · current · land

  1. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  2. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  3. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  4. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  5. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  6. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  7. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  8. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  9. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  10. Have you found your soul ________________?
  11. It's one o'clock ________________.
  12. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  13. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  14. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  15. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  16. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  17. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  18. When are we going to ________________?
  19. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  20. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  21. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  22. The ________________ took off on time.
  23. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  24. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — a tool
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. pit — in a race
  4. mate — a friend
  5. branch — of a tree
  6. current — of water
  7. pit — a fruit stone
  8. branch — of a bank
  9. land — a country
  10. mate — a partner
  11. sharp — exactly
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. pit — a hole
  14. current — electric
  15. hide — animal skin
  16. land — ground
  17. sharp — with an edge
  18. land — to come down
  19. mate — to breed
  20. sharp — clever
  21. current — happening now
  22. plane — an aircraft
  23. branch — a division
  24. plane — in geometry

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