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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. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  3. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  4. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  5. The ________________ went through the wall.
  6. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  7. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  8. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  9. The ________________ took off on time.
  10. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  11. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  12. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  13. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  14. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  15. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  16. The tickets are free of ________________.
  17. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  18. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  19. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  20. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  21. When was this ________________ built?
  22. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  23. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  24. I had a ________________ with my boss today.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — in control
  2. wind — to turn a key
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. row — to paddle
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. hand — help
  8. hand — part of the body
  9. plane — an aircraft
  10. charge — electricity
  11. wind — moving air
  12. racket — a loud noise
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. plane — a tool
  15. temple — side of the head
  16. charge — a price
  17. row — a line
  18. nail — on a finger
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. hand — in cards
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. plane — in geometry
  23. wind — moving air
  24. row — a quarrel

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