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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: file · arm · court · current · plane · sharp · bore · prune

  1. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  2. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  3. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  4. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  5. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  6. My father caught me by the ________________.
  7. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  8. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  9. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  10. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  11. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  12. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  13. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  14. It's one o'clock ________________.
  15. The ________________ took off on time.
  16. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  17. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  18. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  19. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  20. The ball is in your ________________.
  21. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  22. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  23. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  24. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a tool
  2. bore — to drill
  3. file — a document
  4. plane — in geometry
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. current — of water
  8. bore — gave birth
  9. plane — a tool
  10. court — of a king
  11. current — electric
  12. bore — to tire
  13. court — of law
  14. sharp — exactly
  15. plane — an aircraft
  16. prune — to trim
  17. prune — to trim
  18. sharp — clever
  19. sharp — with an edge
  20. court — for sport
  21. file — a line of people
  22. prune — the fruit
  23. arm — a part of something
  24. current — happening now

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