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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 ________________ took off on time.
  2. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  3. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  4. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  5. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  6. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  7. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  8. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  9. Where did you ________________ them?
  10. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  11. The tickets are free of ________________.
  12. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  13. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  14. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  15. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  16. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  17. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  18. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  19. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  20. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  21. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  22. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  23. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  24. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — an aircraft
  2. clip — for paper
  3. bore — gave birth
  4. prune — to trim
  5. charge — electricity
  6. clip — a video
  7. leaves — of a tree
  8. leaves — to go away
  9. mug — to rob
  10. hand — help
  11. charge — a price
  12. plane — a tool
  13. bore — to tire
  14. leaves — lets stay
  15. mug — a cup
  16. bore — to drill
  17. clip — to cut
  18. hand — in cards
  19. prune — to trim
  20. hand — part of the body
  21. plane — in geometry
  22. charge — in control
  23. prune — the fruit
  24. mug — a face

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