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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: lean · plane · spell · net · current · rock · perch · club

  1. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  2. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  3. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  4. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  5. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  6. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  7. The ________________ took off on time.
  8. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  9. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  10. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  11. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  12. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  13. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  14. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  15. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  16. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  17. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  18. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  19. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  20. How do you ________________ your surname?
  21. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  22. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  23. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  24. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — a short time
  2. spell — magic
  3. lean — thin
  4. lean — to bend
  5. current — electric
  6. current — of water
  7. plane — an aircraft
  8. current — happening now
  9. club — for dancing
  10. club — for golf
  11. rock — music
  12. lean — to rest against
  13. net — in sport
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. plane — in geometry
  17. plane — a tool
  18. rock — a stone
  19. club — a group
  20. spell — letters
  21. net — after costs
  22. rock — to move gently
  23. net — for catching
  24. perch — the fish

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