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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 120 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. Have you found your soul ________________?
  2. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  3. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  4. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  5. That must've been a ________________.
  6. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  7. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  8. The ________________ took off on time.
  9. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  10. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  11. The King held a masked ________________.
  12. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  13. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  14. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  15. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  16. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  17. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  18. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  19. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  20. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  21. The tickets are free of ________________.
  22. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  23. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  24. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a partner
  2. degree — from a university
  3. rush — hurry
  4. ball — a great time
  5. rush — a thrill
  6. plane — a tool
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. plane — an aircraft
  9. plane — in geometry
  10. fan — to cool the air
  11. ball — a dance
  12. mate — a friend
  13. charge — electricity
  14. bowl — a dish
  15. charge — in control
  16. degree — temperature
  17. degree — an amount
  18. ball — a round shape
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. bowl — to roll
  21. charge — a price
  22. mate — to breed
  23. rush — to hurry
  24. bowl — a football final

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