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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. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  2. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  3. Don't do anything ________________.
  4. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  5. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  6. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  7. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  8. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  9. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  10. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  11. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  12. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  13. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  14. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  15. Have you settled on a ________________?
  16. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  17. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  18. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  19. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  20. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  21. The tickets are free of ________________.
  22. The ________________ took off on time.
  23. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  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. can — to be able to
  2. rash — a series
  3. rash — hasty
  4. leaves — lets stay
  5. rash — on the skin
  6. kid — to tease
  7. charge — in control
  8. can — a tin
  9. rock — music
  10. can — a tin
  11. date — the fruit
  12. charge — electricity
  13. plane — a tool
  14. leaves — of a tree
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. rock — to move gently
  17. leaves — to go away
  18. kid — child
  19. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  20. rock — a stone
  21. charge — a price
  22. plane — an aircraft
  23. date — on the calendar
  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