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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. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  2. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  3. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  4. The King held a masked ________________.
  5. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  6. The ________________ took off on time.
  7. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  8. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  9. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  10. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  11. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  12. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  13. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  14. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  15. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  16. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  17. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  18. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  19. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  20. Did you ________________ the button?
  21. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  22. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  23. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  24. The tickets are free of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. club — a group
  2. ball — a round shape
  3. plane — a tool
  4. ball — a dance
  5. plane — in geometry
  6. plane — an aircraft
  7. fork — a garden tool
  8. shower — rain
  9. charge — electricity
  10. club — for dancing
  11. shower — to wash
  12. fork — in a road
  13. fork — to eat with
  14. club — for golf
  15. ball — a great time
  16. charge — in control
  17. press — newspapers
  18. face — to point toward
  19. press — a publisher
  20. press — to push
  21. shower — a meteor shower
  22. face — to confront
  23. face — part of the head
  24. charge — a price

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