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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 116 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. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  2. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  3. The tickets are free of ________________.
  4. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  5. The ________________ took off on time.
  6. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  7. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  8. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  9. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  10. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  11. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  12. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  13. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  14. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  15. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  16. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  17. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  18. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  19. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  20. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  21. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  22. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  23. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  24. Where did you ________________ them?

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

Answer key

  1. firm — decided
  2. firm — a company
  3. charge — a price
  4. plane — in geometry
  5. plane — an aircraft
  6. mug — a face
  7. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  8. bowl — a football final
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. mine — an explosive
  11. mine — for digging
  12. plane — a tool
  13. bowl — a dish
  14. charge — electricity
  15. firm — steady
  16. kid — child
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. kid — to tease
  19. bowl — to roll
  20. lie — to recline
  21. mine — belonging to me
  22. mug — a cup
  23. charge — in control
  24. mug — to rob

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