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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: nail · vault · current · spring · plane · lean · sharp · land

  1. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  2. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  3. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  4. When are we going to ________________?
  5. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  6. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  7. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  8. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  9. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  10. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  11. The ________________ took off on time.
  12. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  13. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  14. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  15. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  16. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  17. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  18. It's one o'clock ________________.
  19. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  20. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  21. The ________________ went through the wall.
  22. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  23. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  24. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.

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

Answer key

  1. current — of water
  2. sharp — with an edge
  3. vault — an arched ceiling
  4. land — to come down
  5. current — happening now
  6. current — electric
  7. lean — to rest against
  8. lean — thin
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. nail — on a finger
  11. plane — an aircraft
  12. spring — of water
  13. vault — a safe
  14. sharp — clever
  15. spring — the season
  16. spring — a coil
  17. land — a country
  18. sharp — exactly
  19. vault — in gymnastics
  20. land — ground
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. lean — to bend
  23. plane — in geometry
  24. plane — a tool

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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