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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. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  2. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  3. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  4. Have you settled on a ________________?
  5. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  6. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  7. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  8. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  9. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  10. The tickets are free of ________________.
  11. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  12. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  13. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  14. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  15. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  16. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  17. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  18. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  19. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  20. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  21. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  22. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  23. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  24. The ________________ took off on time.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — in control
  2. staff — a stick
  3. plane — in geometry
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. bowl — to roll
  6. snap — to snap out of it
  7. staff — employees
  8. spring — a coil
  9. can — a tin
  10. charge — a price
  11. charge — electricity
  12. spring — the season
  13. staff — employees
  14. can — to be able to
  15. bowl — a football final
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. date — the fruit
  18. can — a tin
  19. snap — to speak sharply
  20. snap — to click
  21. plane — a tool
  22. bowl — a dish
  23. spring — of water
  24. plane — an aircraft

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