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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. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  2. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  3. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  4. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  5. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  6. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  7. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  8. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  9. The tickets are free of ________________.
  10. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  11. How do you ________________ your surname?
  12. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  13. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  14. She's very handy with a ________________.
  15. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  16. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  17. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  18. He works in a ________________ mill.
  19. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  20. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  21. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  22. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  23. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  24. The ________________ took off on time.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — in control
  2. bore — to tire
  3. face — to confront
  4. spell — magic
  5. bore — gave birth
  6. face — part of the head
  7. plane — a tool
  8. spring — of water
  9. charge — a price
  10. fork — in a road
  11. spell — letters
  12. spring — the season
  13. fork — to eat with
  14. saw — the tool
  15. spell — a short time
  16. face — to point toward
  17. spring — a coil
  18. saw — the tool
  19. bore — to drill
  20. charge — electricity
  21. fork — a garden tool
  22. plane — in geometry
  23. saw — past of 'see'
  24. plane — an aircraft

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