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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: current · mark · tube · saw · can · cold · net · plane

  1. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  2. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  3. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  4. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  5. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  6. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  7. The ________________ took off on time.
  8. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  9. The water is too ________________.
  10. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  11. He works in a ________________ mill.
  12. She's very handy with a ________________.
  13. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  14. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  15. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  16. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  17. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  18. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  19. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  20. I'll be taking the ________________.
  21. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  22. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  23. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  24. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cold — the Cold War
  2. net — for catching
  3. net — in sport
  4. current — of water
  5. mark — a trace
  6. net — after costs
  7. plane — an aircraft
  8. can — a tin
  9. cold — not warm
  10. plane — a tool
  11. saw — the tool
  12. saw — the tool
  13. current — happening now
  14. can — to be able to
  15. saw — past of 'see'
  16. mark — a grade
  17. mark — to pay attention
  18. can — a tin
  19. tube — in a tire
  20. tube — the underground
  21. cold — an illness
  22. current — electric
  23. tube — a container
  24. plane — in geometry

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