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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 tickets are free of ________________.
  2. It's one o'clock ________________.
  3. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  4. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  5. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  6. The ________________ took off on time.
  7. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  8. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  9. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  10. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  11. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  12. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  13. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  14. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  15. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  16. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  17. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  18. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  19. What do you think of the new ________________?
  20. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  21. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  22. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  23. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  24. I'd like to play a game of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — a price
  2. sharp — exactly
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. stem — a stem cell
  5. sharp — clever
  6. plane — an aircraft
  7. object — a thing
  8. squash — to crush
  9. plane — in geometry
  10. hand — in cards
  11. object — an aim
  12. charge — in control
  13. plane — a tool
  14. charge — electricity
  15. cabinet — a cupboard
  16. object — to protest
  17. hand — help
  18. stem — to come from
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. hand — part of the body
  21. stem — of a plant
  22. sharp — with an edge
  23. squash — the vegetable
  24. squash — the sport

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