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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. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  2. The ________________ took off on time.
  3. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  4. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  5. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  6. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  7. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  8. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  9. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  10. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  11. Did you ________________ the meat?
  12. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  13. The tickets are free of ________________.
  14. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  15. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  16. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  17. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  18. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  19. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  20. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  21. False peace will not ________________.
  22. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  23. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  24. Would you like some apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. charge — electricity
  2. plane — an aircraft
  3. pit — in a race
  4. last — finally
  5. plane — a tool
  6. pit — a fruit stone
  7. pass — to spend time
  8. plane — in geometry
  9. branch — of a tree
  10. season — of the year
  11. season — to add flavour
  12. jam — a tight spot
  13. charge — a price
  14. pass — a permit
  15. jam — in traffic
  16. charge — in control
  17. branch — a division
  18. branch — of a bank
  19. pit — a hole
  20. pass — to succeed
  21. last — to go on
  22. season — in sport
  23. last — final
  24. jam — to spread on bread

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