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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: track · plane · drill · shower · craft · fall · current · band

  1. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  2. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  3. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  4. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  5. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  6. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  7. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  8. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  9. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  10. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  11. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  12. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  13. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  14. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  15. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  16. The ________________ took off on time.
  17. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  18. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  19. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  20. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  21. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  22. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  23. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  24. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. current — happening now
  3. track — a song
  4. plane — in geometry
  5. drill — the tool
  6. shower — rain
  7. band — a rubber band
  8. shower — to wash
  9. current — of water
  10. craft — a handicraft
  11. drill — army training
  12. fall — to drop
  13. track — a path
  14. drill — a practice
  15. current — electric
  16. plane — an aircraft
  17. craft — boats
  18. track — to keep track
  19. plane — a tool
  20. band — a music group
  21. shower — a meteor shower
  22. band — a ring
  23. craft — a skill
  24. fall — the season

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