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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: firm · nail · fan · squash · bark · current · scale · plane

  1. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  2. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  3. The ________________ took off on time.
  4. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  5. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  6. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  7. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  8. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  9. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  10. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  11. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  12. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  13. The ________________ went through the wall.
  14. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  15. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  16. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  17. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  18. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  19. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  20. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  21. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  22. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  23. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  24. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the vegetable
  2. firm — decided
  3. plane — an aircraft
  4. squash — to crush
  5. firm — steady
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. current — happening now
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. scale — in music
  10. squash — the sport
  11. plane — in geometry
  12. current — electric
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. scale — size or range
  15. scale — for weighing
  16. firm — a company
  17. current — of water
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. bark — a dog's sound
  20. nail — on a finger
  21. fan — to cool the air
  22. bark — to shout
  23. plane — a tool
  24. bark — of a tree

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