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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. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  2. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  3. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  4. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  5. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  6. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  7. Have you found your soul ________________?
  8. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  9. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  10. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  11. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  12. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  13. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  14. The tickets are free of ________________.
  15. He was locked up in a ________________.
  16. The ________________ took off on time.
  17. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  18. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  19. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  20. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  21. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  22. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  23. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  24. He was blown up by a land ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — a phone
  2. cell — in biology
  3. charge — electricity
  4. plane — in geometry
  5. mate — to breed
  6. cue — a signal
  7. mate — a partner
  8. mine — for digging
  9. mate — a friend
  10. plane — a tool
  11. board — a committee
  12. charge — in control
  13. board — a flat piece
  14. charge — a price
  15. cell — in a prison
  16. plane — an aircraft
  17. cue — a hint
  18. fall — to drop
  19. board — to get on
  20. cue — for pool
  21. fall — to drop
  22. fall — the season
  23. mine — belonging to me
  24. mine — an explosive

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