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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. The ________________ took off on time.
  2. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  3. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  4. The tickets are free of ________________.
  5. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  6. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  7. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  8. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  9. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  10. The ________________ market has crashed.
  11. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  12. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  13. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  14. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  15. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  16. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  17. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  18. David sat on the ________________.
  19. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  20. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  21. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  22. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  23. When are we going to ________________?
  24. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. plane — an aircraft
  2. land — a country
  3. stock — a soup base
  4. charge — a price
  5. plane — a tool
  6. swing — music
  7. land — ground
  8. stock — goods
  9. wake — a trail
  10. stock — shares
  11. kick — in football
  12. charge — in control
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. kick — a thrill
  15. charge — electricity
  16. plane — in geometry
  17. kick — with a leg
  18. swing — to play on
  19. wake — to stop sleeping
  20. swing — in golf
  21. lie — to recline
  22. wake — before a funeral
  23. land — to come down
  24. lie — an untruth

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