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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Have you settled on a ________________?
  2. The tickets are free of ________________.
  3. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  4. The ________________ took off on time.
  5. He was locked up in a ________________.
  6. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  7. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  8. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  9. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  10. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  11. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  12. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  13. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  14. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  15. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  16. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  17. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  18. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  19. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  20. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  21. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  22. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  23. That must've been a ________________.
  24. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. date — on the calendar
  2. charge — a price
  3. plane — in geometry
  4. plane — an aircraft
  5. cell — in a prison
  6. charge — in control
  7. cell — in biology
  8. charge — electricity
  9. rush — hurry
  10. bowl — a football final
  11. hide — animal skin
  12. plane — a tool
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. bowl — to roll
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. branch — of a bank
  17. cell — a phone
  18. branch — of a tree
  19. branch — a division
  20. rush — to hurry
  21. bowl — a dish
  22. date — the fruit
  23. rush — a thrill
  24. date — on the calendar

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