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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: plane · spell · hide · current · row · saw · chest · nail

  1. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  2. He works in a ________________ mill.
  3. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  4. How do you ________________ your surname?
  5. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  6. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  7. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  8. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  9. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  10. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  11. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  12. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  13. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  14. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  15. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  16. The ________________ went through the wall.
  17. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  18. She's very handy with a ________________.
  19. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  20. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  21. The ________________ took off on time.
  22. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  23. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  24. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — in geometry
  2. saw — the tool
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. spell — letters
  5. saw — past of 'see'
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. row — a line
  9. chest — of your body
  10. current — electric
  11. spell — a short time
  12. row — a quarrel
  13. spell — magic
  14. hide — animal skin
  15. chest — a box
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. current — of water
  18. saw — the tool
  19. plane — a tool
  20. chest — of your body
  21. plane — an aircraft
  22. current — happening now
  23. row — to paddle
  24. nail — on a finger

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