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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: cap · sharp · rest · plane · current · prune · scale · mark

  1. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  2. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  3. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  4. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  5. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  6. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  7. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  8. The ________________ took off on time.
  9. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  10. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  11. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  12. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  13. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  14. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  15. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  16. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  17. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  18. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  19. It's one o'clock ________________.
  20. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  21. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  22. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  23. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  24. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. mark — to pay attention
  3. plane — in geometry
  4. cap — of ice
  5. sharp — clever
  6. current — electric
  7. rest — what's left
  8. plane — an aircraft
  9. prune — the fruit
  10. cap — a lid
  11. current — happening now
  12. scale — in music
  13. scale — for weighing
  14. mark — a grade
  15. cap — a hat
  16. rest — a break
  17. scale — size or range
  18. current — of water
  19. sharp — exactly
  20. prune — to trim
  21. mark — a trace
  22. sharp — with an edge
  23. plane — a tool
  24. prune — to trim

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