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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: leaves · current · ball · mine · bear · plane · tear · fan

  1. The King held a masked ________________.
  2. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  3. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  4. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  5. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  6. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  7. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  8. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  9. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  10. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  11. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  12. The ________________ took off on time.
  13. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  14. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  15. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  16. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  17. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  18. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  19. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  20. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  21. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  22. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  23. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  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. ball — a dance
  2. current — electric
  3. bear — to put up with
  4. ball — a round shape
  5. fan — to cool the air
  6. mine — for digging
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. leaves — lets stay
  9. tear — to rip
  10. bear — the animal
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. plane — an aircraft
  13. mine — belonging to me
  14. leaves — of a tree
  15. ball — a great time
  16. plane — a tool
  17. bear — the animal
  18. current — happening now
  19. current — of water
  20. tear — from crying
  21. mine — an explosive
  22. leaves — to go away
  23. tear — from crying
  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