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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. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  2. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  3. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  4. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  5. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  6. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  7. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  8. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  9. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  10. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  11. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  12. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  13. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  14. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  15. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  16. The tickets are free of ________________.
  17. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  18. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  19. The ________________ took off on time.
  20. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  21. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  22. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  23. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  24. Hold the papers together with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. mark — a grade
  3. mark — a trace
  4. drill — army training
  5. plane — a tool
  6. charge — in control
  7. charge — electricity
  8. lie — to recline
  9. plane — in geometry
  10. can — to be able to
  11. can — a tin
  12. net — for catching
  13. net — in sport
  14. net — after costs
  15. drill — the tool
  16. charge — a price
  17. mark — to pay attention
  18. drill — a practice
  19. plane — an aircraft
  20. clip — to cut
  21. clip — a video
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. clip — for paper

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