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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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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. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  2. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  3. The ________________ took off on time.
  4. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  5. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  6. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  7. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  8. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  9. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  10. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  11. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  12. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  13. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  14. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  15. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  16. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  17. The tickets are free of ________________.
  18. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  19. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  20. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  21. There's no middle ________________.
  22. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  23. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  24. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to bend
  2. current — happening now
  3. plane — an aircraft
  4. lean — to rest against
  5. plane — a tool
  6. charge — in control
  7. lean — thin
  8. drill — army training
  9. capital — a big letter
  10. plane — in geometry
  11. charge — electricity
  12. drill — a practice
  13. ground — crushed
  14. ground — the earth
  15. race — a contest
  16. drill — the tool
  17. charge — a price
  18. capital — money
  19. current — of water
  20. current — electric
  21. ground — a position
  22. race — humankind
  23. capital — a city
  24. race — the arms race

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