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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 116 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. The ________________ took off on time.
  2. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  3. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  4. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  5. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  6. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  7. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  8. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  9. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  10. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  11. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  12. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  13. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  14. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  15. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  16. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  17. This piece is in a major ________________.
  18. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  19. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  20. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  21. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  22. The tickets are free of ________________.
  23. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  24. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — an aircraft
  2. pit — a fruit stone
  3. object — to protest
  4. object — an aim
  5. pit — in a race
  6. lean — to bend
  7. plane — in geometry
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. clip — a video
  10. key — the most important part
  11. charge — electricity
  12. lean — to rest against
  13. lean — thin
  14. pit — a hole
  15. key — for a lock
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. key — in music
  18. charge — in control
  19. object — a thing
  20. racket — a loud noise
  21. plane — a tool
  22. charge — a price
  23. clip — for paper
  24. clip — to cut

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