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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. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  2. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  3. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  4. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  5. The tickets are free of ________________.
  6. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  7. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  8. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  9. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  10. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  11. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  12. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  13. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  14. There's no middle ________________.
  15. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  16. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  17. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  18. The ________________ took off on time.
  19. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  20. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  21. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  22. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  23. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  24. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. plane — a tool
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. charge — electricity
  5. charge — a price
  6. mouse — for a computer
  7. object — to protest
  8. ground — crushed
  9. object — a thing
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. charge — in control
  13. stick — to attach or keep to
  14. ground — a position
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. plane — an aircraft
  19. hide — animal skin
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. safe — a strongbox
  22. object — an aim
  23. ground — the earth
  24. plane — in geometry

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