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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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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: face · squash · plane · net · track · straw · wave · current

  1. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  2. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  3. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  4. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  5. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  6. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  7. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  8. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  9. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  10. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  11. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  12. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  13. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  14. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  15. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  16. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  17. The ________________ took off on time.
  18. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  19. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  20. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  21. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  22. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  23. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  24. I'd like to play a game of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — dry grass
  2. net — for catching
  3. track — to keep track
  4. plane — in geometry
  5. track — a path
  6. wave — with your hand
  7. current — electric
  8. track — a song
  9. current — of water
  10. net — in sport
  11. straw — a straw man
  12. wave — of the sea
  13. face — part of the head
  14. current — happening now
  15. wave — a sudden rise
  16. straw — to clutch at straws
  17. plane — an aircraft
  18. squash — to crush
  19. face — to point toward
  20. face — to confront
  21. net — after costs
  22. plane — a tool
  23. squash — the vegetable
  24. squash — the sport

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